best not to sing
that old song
not now
not here
it’s not too late
to learn to sing
a new song
even now
right here

sometimes late at night
when the words don’t come to paper
and my mind drifts too far from the reading
I entertain myself by exploring
a past that could have been
if I had made other choices along the way
to where I am today
no good can come from this
but it does reaffirm the present
since whatever I could have done
or might have been
would not have allowed me to know
some of the people whose lives
intersected with mine
and having those people, those memories
still alive in my heart
as well as the memories, the people
still to come
all making it worth whatever price I paid
to get here
staring somewhat resolutely
toward the next decade
of what is this life

sometimes forward
is back
and back
is forward
funny
how it works out
that way

sometimes
a problem pops up
and you have three choices
ignore it
maybe it’ll go away
ask someone else
what to do about it
so you don’t have to
make a decision
on your own
and thus be responsible
or just deal with it
not the easiest option
but ultimately
the one that helps you
grow
and be the adult
you claim to be