James Babbs writes

Ready or Not

I’m not ready

for my hair to go gray

wasn’t it only yesterday

I was an awkward teenager

too shy to talk to girls and

learning how to drive a car

graduating from high school

messing around in college

for a couple of years

just trying to find my way

it wasn’t that long ago and

I remember

how I wanted to write a novel

by the time I was thirty

what happened to all those days

now

it seems kind of strange

when I look into the mirror and

see my father’s face

how long has it been

since he passed away

come over here and

look into my eyes and

I swear

you’ll still see the boy I was

the same boy

I still feel like I am

he’s still in here and

sometimes

I can hear him laughing

for no reason at all

he’s still in here and

he’s waiting for something

I think there’s still

something he wants

Man In The Mirror -- Suzanne Marie Leclair