Below is a poem written by my Father when he was 85 years old.
PATHS
By Jack Cooper
©2010
The other night as
I lay in bed,
thought after thought danced through my head.
I laid there
wondering where I’d be today had I taken another path during my early journey’s
way.
Have you ever
wished you could go back in time? Start all over again when you were in your
prime?
If I had taken that
path I bypassed before - heaven only
knows what might’ve been in store.
I might’ve made it
big on the stage or screen – Maybe won an Oscar in the Hollywood scene.
I was good at
sports – at the top of my game. Had I stuck to that path – might I been in the
Hall of Fame?
I loved to travel, explore foreign lands - maybe search for treasure buried deep in
the sand.
Or taken the High
Sierra road - I might’ve found that Mother Lode!
If I studied harder
to become more wise - I might’ve been a scientist, won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Ah, yes, if only
I’d taken a different lane - I might have wound up with fortune and fame.
I leaned back on my
pillow and pondered some more. Then dozed off to sleep – back to the days of
yore.
Instead of dreaming
of glory and fame - my dreams took me down a perilous lane.
I was on a path
that that led into harm’s way - leading
me only toward danger and dismay.
No Hall of Fame, no
big prize – no award. No treasure chest
found washed up on the shore.
I was lonely and
homeless and roaming the streets - Begging for food with no place to sleep.
I woke up and I sat
on the edge of my bed - shaking and sweating from my toes to my head.
I sat for a moment
glancing around the room - trying to clear my head of the misery and
gloom.
With a sigh of
relief I realized how lucky I’ve been - that I did
take the right path way back when.
I’ve struggled at
times with some bumps along the way. But I’ve made it safely to where I am
today.
I’m blessed with a
family I’d never trade away - and have wonderful friends I’ve met
along the way.
One may choose to
be happy – or envious and sad - left dreaming of the treasures you might’ve had.
But I do have my treasures
on this glorious day! I just have to
look at things in a much different way.
Tomorrow will be
the beginning of another day - I just
hope I choose the right path along my long journey’s way.
