There Will Be Time

Let us go then, back in time,
When the dawning sun had yet to melt the rime
Like a flock of sheep wearing down the trodden path;
Let us go, and follow the lesson told
Babbling nonsense extolled
Of restless nights heart and brain full of scabs
Trying to ignore taunting elbow jabs
Scraping blood on the coarse cement
Of insidious intent
Machiavellian teasing spews from their breath
Oh, do not mock, “What’s with you?”
Let us go in to our rescue.

Down the hallway children come and go
You’ll be President when you grow.

The gray cloud hovers overhead smothering out the words
The gray mist drifts the eyes half closed ears blocking out the words
Yawns wave across the room unable to focus,
The blue sky beckons as do the brown birds,
Let fall down the pitted tiles that block out the sun,
Startled by the buzzer jumped to our feet,
And seeing all the bodies blocking our escape,
Planned the games and chose the teams to compete.

And there were games lots of games
For the strong shoulders and the broken spirits
Hovering overhead smothering out the words
There will be games, there will be games
To teach you the rules, to follow the rules that you rule;
There will be games to amuse and destroy,
And time for winning and cheating yourself
That stains a question on your character;
Games for you and games for me,
And games for a hundred relationships,
And for a hundred friendships and kinships,
Before claiming the prize of victory.

Down the hallway children come and go
You’ll be President when you grow.

And indeed there will be games
To wonder, “Do I try?” and “Do I try?”
Games that teach you, tempt you to ask, “why?”
With the stage for the rehearsal all will vie-
[They will say: “He can’t say his lines he’s too shy!”]
My costume revealing the truth rises in my throat dry,
Oh Romeo, Romeo sweetest Juliet you both must die-
[They will say: “But his voice is not too high!”]
Do I try
Take a chance and demand?
Every challenge is a game
For all relationships and friendships which played well will expand.
For I have felt the sting, the burn and known the pain:-
Have shamed the sun and suffered through the night,
I have stomped the meek and not set things right,
I know determination is the path to gain
From each new experience I learn.
So yet another turn?

I play games…I play games…
I shall look back and roll the dice that burn and maim.