The poetic city: “The Winner – 11/1/15”

The Winner    –   11/1/15

A small, perfectly proportioned

twelve year old passes me by

as he runs along the path circling the park.

Running all by himself

with such ease and focused intensity,

I have no doubt that success in life

will be his. Short of random elements

that might intrude, he is bound to be a winner

As he leaves me in his wake,

I pause to consider how much more

I could have accomplished

had I such clarity of purpose

and will to succeed when I was his age.

I imagine all the possibilities that passed me by

over the course of my seventy years…

All mine for the taking had I been someone

other than myself.

And I wonder, would I chance losing

the thrill I take in the flight of the egret

or the dance of light across the surface of the pond,

if offered the choice of a second life

to pursue success with the single mindedness

of the young runner.

Then, as I continue my walk,

I conclude with perfect clarity

that such a bet would be

hardly worth the risk.