Too young to expect levelheadedness, too rowdy for calm decision making,
adventure fueled by Kentucky bourbon, always seeking faster pace.
A sweetheart from my dreams appeared almost in time to cure me,
blue eyes and perfect smile that kept me from forfeiting the race,
made me at least accept sobriety was available for the taking.
One cold experience left me practicing survival for a while,
a near fatal motorcycle sideswipe by a less than sober operator.
In the year it took to heal she held my hand and cheered my progress
while I snubbed this nearly last discussion with my creator,
there was no medicine or treatment to compare with her smile.
Still the nights after were ego driven, hard partying the norm,
beating drums and tickling well-worn ivory levers,
too many promises insincerely sworn,
missing signs that should have warned me;
too many 'sometimes' got drowned out by almost nevers.
She was my salvation if I had only chosen to let her,
so often those long-gone chances missed fire my depression.
That life of normalcy seemed too dull; a choice still mightily regretted,
leaving me for all these later years to wonder and to question
if that after army judgement could not somehow have been better.
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Author:
Dan Williams (
Offline) - Published: November 20th, 2024 02:11
- Comment from author about the poem: I blamed the military and hated it, only much later came to see the failure was mostly mine. What are you gonna do?
- Category: Short story
- Views: 25
Offline)
Comments6
A sad tale of missed opportunity Dan. Nicely narrated. Regrets, many people have them. I do not share those experiences fortunately. Have a good Wednesday poet.
The folly of youth, the wisdom of age seems they are backwards. It would be better to be wise and once you and relax and fall in old age.
I feel that. Over the weekend we met a former neighbour whose son, then 12, 6 years back now, is with the ADF. He always loved playing soldier and now he gets to be one. So she swipes her phone and pulls up a pic oh him in full camo gear gear, rifle in hand. My cousin served in the Gulf War for 2 tours and got knocked by a train in Spain, no kidding. That ended his military career. So I’m kinda getting the picture quite clearly from different viewpoints.
Well written and expressed
Never been in the army (apart from schoolboy cadets) But as you point out, it really wasn't the army.... I also have a woman in my past I could have treated better. Still nagging regrets sometimes.... not for what I missed out on, just for my behaviour.
Powerful and poignant. Great work.
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