I was driving towards my destination
a place I had never been
when I missed a number of turnoffs.
I had overshot the mark.
It made me wonder how often in life
I had overshot the mark
& missed some vital turnoffs
where, for instance. I could have become
a famous novelist like David Foster Wallace
& worn a red bandana
or rakish rock star like Keith Richards
or, god forbid,a prominent politician.
Or even married someone else!
What if you didn’t marry grandma?
my granddaughter once asked,
would I have still been born?
Most of us overshoot the mark.
It may be a good thing.
Danny Kaye, that Court Jester, once famously said,
we always land where we were meant to be.
Maybe it’s true.
I could have done worse.
John Malone 
What ifs. The web of them. I like your ending. And your philosophical grand daughter. A journey in life is so simple compared to the journey of life. The biggest opportunities I missed were because of fear. But if I hadn’t been such a knee-knocking wimp, would I still have been me?
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it took my troubled trip to the winery to unleash these meanderings; perhaps I should get lost more often 🙂
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Or drink more often. 😉
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Lol; I must say, the wine did loosen things up a bit 🙂
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Brilliant.
It’s the age old question isn’t it – what if. One of the few we’ll never truly know the answer to.
Reminds me very much of the Pulp song ‘Something Changed’ and, of course, the George Micheal classic ‘A Different Corner’.
Great work my friemd 👍🖤
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that’s the question we must ask ourselves; I didn’t quite know how to answer my granddaughter — she was five at the time [ she turns 21 next week !]. Fear, anxiety trims my wings too; but in a similar quote, Danny Kaye said, ‘we always become who we were meant to be’ ; whole books could be written on this topic, religions formed on its edifice 🙂
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Absolutely.
That’s why I prefer pop songs 😉🖤
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they’re certainly easier to get into than religion and much more fun 🙂
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Sorry to butt in on this delightful and entertaining exchange but what, in essence, do you think is the difference between a song and a poem? Did Leonard Cohen write songs or poems? They work as both. Maybe you just need musical skill to turn a poem into a song.
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that’s a great question; I know intuitively but will try to answer it straightforwardly: they both have words of course, though in songs they’re called lyrics probably because they’re underpinned my melodies and have musical accompaniment; songs, almost all the popular ones, are marked by repetition and have choruses — Dylan didn’t always do so, esp in ‘Shelter from the Storm’; some poems approximate to that.state. Songs of course are sung, poems spoken. And that’s only a start …. I invite others to come in here and add to the discussion — anyone?
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My general opinion is that songs are poems set to music. I contend that most, if not all, songs (lyrics) could be read as a poem without the musical accompaniment or melody, just spoken voice. Of course, some would perform better than others, but that is true of straight up poems, too.
I remember Steve Allen on TV back in the late ’70s, dressed in a tux, formally and dramatically reading the lyrics for “Hot Stuff” (Donna Summer). It was hilarious. So… yeah. I reckon not all songs would be great as poems, per se.
Still, I’d venture to opine that MOST would.
And, how about Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen”?
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Good one! Some pop songs would be pretty boring without tune but, yes, maybe you’re right. So if I want my poems to be songs I just have to find tunes for them. 🤓
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if you look at the lyrics of Slowly Slowly’s ‘Zombies and Comets’, you will find repetition and embedded rhymes with a minimal chorus; it could quite easily be read as a poem: in fact, it started as a poem
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It’s been my experience
that a fresh dose
of the Desiderata
always helps to divert
any such
existential crisis 😎
Especially when life
leaves you feeling a bit sore
and like Bono
you still haven’t found
what you’re looking for 👁️❓👁️
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🙂 thanks, David, for that eloquent answer: I like how you worked Bono in 🙂 good advice: I haven’t read the old ‘Desiderata’ for some time so will pop over and have a look — just as soon as I see what you’re up to 🙂
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I do think it is true
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thanks, Beth; I reckon he’s right too: I can’t really imagine a life other than the one I’m in; a mixed bag, Beth 🙂
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Pingback: The pieces we wish away… – Out of the Cave
this is a really good poem; I recommend you hop over and have a look 🙂
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Wonderfully stated…It really comes down to choices they are the marks you make.
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I know; choices are such tricky things; but in the end it is up to us 🙂
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I love desiderata for it’s common sense. Imagine that going onto WP as an original post these days!
Nice poem John. Not desiderata maybe, but still thought provoking!🙂
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‘Desiderata’ is exceptional; I could never come close to that; it’s the sort of piece you write once in a lifetime 🙂
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The what ifs are a vicious circle….best to think..we are where we were always meant to be 😊
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I think you’re right , and Danny Kaye 🙂
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This ‘what if’ has unleashed too many poets and philosophers and scientists in this world…what if I could fly, what if I could touch the moon…i guess it is a good mark of being intellectual
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Yes, so true, Shaily; and yet… ‘what if’ also gives rise to activities of the ‘hold my beer’ variety. 🙂
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I wouldn’t know that, Boromax, since I do not drink… 😁
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I love this. I read a line in a Hilary Mantel novel that said something like, for every decision that is made, there is a shadow trace of the ones that weren’t. That’s not the exact words, but kind off
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I like that concept; incidentally Hilary Mantel whom I have not read is the inspiration of my new chapbook coming out soon : ‘Wolf Down’ inspired by the title of her first ‘big’ book, ‘Wolf Hall’ 🙂
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Brilliant. To be honest, I hadn’t read any of her books and I wasn’t keen on the one that I did, but some of the lines were great. It was an old book right enough. I can’t wait to learn more about your new novel though.
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it’s only a chapbook of poems, 25 in all, on a single theme; you will hear more ; I’m holding the galley proofs in my hand as we speak 🙂
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Exciting stuff
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thank you 🙂
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I ponder such thoughts a lot, wondering about the many ‘forks in the road’ and decision points in my life. There are big ones and small ones, and repetitive ones, i.e., habits that became difficult to break even when they were clearly and demonstrably destructive…
Nevertheless, I agree with Danny Kaye, too. Especially because pining over past events does not change them or (usually) make one happier. Today is the thing. Live, love, and laugh. Reminds me of a song called “We Have This Moment.”
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terrific advice, Ed; now I’m going to hop across and be’ EDified’ 🙂 get it?
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For all o’ y’all’s edification:
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striking; very unusual ; he does a good job! thanks Ed for this
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How marvelous to overshoot the mark. So infinitely better than falling short. In a way you’ve transcended all your own expectations, which are still totally obtainable based on your strength and tenacity.
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thank you for the lovely comment 🙂
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