I’ve always been a late bloomer

and perhaps

that is just the hope

of becoming something beautiful

to save ourselves

from mindless routines,

baseball games,

and get togethers

is not easy

and my idea has always been

if I say “no” to life

long enough

I won’t get a life sentence.

It’s like the question we ask our friends

when we wonder about the ripples

in our disturbed ponds

“If you could do it all over again…

with the knowledge you have now…

what would you do?”

the world is described as dollars and cents

adding up

but not really.

We read balance sheets

and contracts

worried about the fine print

when we could believe

in our own beliefs

rubbing lamps

and hoping

to meet

something magical.

Our self-imposed realities

make us

unhappy

until we need to escape

through stories

that speak to us.