Classic Poem

were sown before I was born
in another man’s field
from the window of my small hut
I watched his mansions grow
the servants bringing news of the secret lives there led
the dalliance of love without effort
romance on the deck of a sailing ship
rendezvous and midnight soirees
Grand Balls at the Governor’s Palace
polo with the Prince on his chestnut steed

I often wondered had I been granted
the reins of fortune
without the means to suffer indignity
would I attend the play
take the mallet
with a mighty swing chuck
the troubles of this world
galloping through life with only the thought
to finish the day in
winning colors?


(Previously published in Some Words: A Place for Poetry, Aug.2004)