Balancing the Scale

When I was young, I had a toy That was an adding scale. You hung the plastic numbers 'Til equality you'd nail. Of course, it only worked If what you added was correct. Two twos would balance out a four; A five it would deflect. With age I've learned that life's like that, A scale we mustn't tip, Though keeping equilibrium Means trying not to slip. To stay in balance is, to me, Much harder than it seems. That "gentle stream" that life is called Is just the stuff of dreams. My scale of life, most often, Dangles slightly on a tilt. A plastic number's not enough To fix things to the hilt.