No matter how optimistic I may become about the future, let me not forsake my past.
Though it’s exciting to imagine myself emerge upon the winning field,
after this past decade that I spent marching in the desert of all my losses,
let me not lose sight of why I march–––let me never forget that I must always walk.
I know where I am now–––just exactly where I am–––I can see the changes.
It feels good to know that it’s true: do anything long enough and you’ll become more than good.
And so no matter where I find myself in time, every past of mine will always charm me.
And no matter how bad any present may become, I know I will look back on its time fondly
For more was going on than what had pained me–––more was there beyond my focus.
And so when I hear a song that takes me back, let nothing but good feelings hit me
And when I hear your voice speak from far away–––too far from me for me to see you––
let me know that it’s OK I let you down in the fairy tale I wrote and died in.
I don’t want to waste my time pretending that I’ve always won
But I don’t want to be chipped shouldered either, inspired to fight by nothing more.
I don’t want to be the guy who has to tell himself he’s better than him, or her–––whoever.
Let me be the guy instead who knows the thew of every loser.
I’ve come too far and seen too much in the idle space of no one there with me
to now cast shadows on the past that ushers me here to you
I think of all the time I spent in idle space when no one was there with me
Friendless I seemed every summer; belief in me came from my father;
without your faith I lasted longer; so why should I now sing with swans as if it’s over?
If you see me planting red flags just know I’ve got something more for you
If you see me swim away dressed in yellow like Bluto at the end of Popeye just know that I love you–––and do trust that I know it–––that you love me too.
Because 2 alien robots warred for decades in absolute silence with all of this time spent cracking each other’s codes until one of them exploded
Because after this happened the victor’s computer discovered that his own demise was 40,000 years in the future, and so he screamed for 100 years
Because after his scream transpired he spent 39,900 years figuring out how to bring his fallen adversary back to life so that he could survive him
Because 40,000 years after his rebirth his adversary figured out how to bring him back to life also, and so he did.
Because they did this.
That is why every loser walks
It is so every winner wins.

poetry #art #life #winner #loser