No Sure Thing

It was a four-horse race at
Santa Anita.
I was with my old man and
little brother.
I put everything I had on
the number 3 horse to show.
His name was Dusty's Diaper.
Shoemaker was aboard;
the shoe, for God's sake.
It was a sure thing.
All he had to do was not
come in fourth place.

I learned that day,
in a horse race,
that anything can happen.
I was 12 years old.
And like horse racing,
In life, anything can
happen.

Amidst the California evening,
On our way to the car,
I thought my Dad
would live forever.