Sidelined

SIDELINED

Four score and seven years ago

this young lady broke my heart

for all the right reasons. 

She saw. 

She left. 

But I was as gullible as a leaf in a greenhouse.

The world was my oyster — I just didn't know it yet,

a Monday-morning quarterback

with a lot on his mind,

just too little in it.

I didn't talk — I told.

I didn't tread a delicate line — I stomped.

Of course I did,

a twenty-something fool who thought

he knew it all.

And when that day came knocking on my doorstep,

I just bolted away like Forrest, never to return.

I went where no Blue guy had ever gone before,

went to college,

found a job,

even got married in the process.

But I could run all I wanted,

dodge a tackle, 

ice the kicker,

dodge some more

and move the goal posts too.

The truth of the matter was

I'd been sidelined.

Who would've thought

that this young lady,

now a beautiful woman,

would be the one to ease the pain

30 years down the line

and call it a game? 

 * * *