My Truncated Life

I have lived a
Truncated life
I have been a victim
Of truncation
I had an abbreviated
Relationship
With my father
He died when
I was ten months old
I had an abbreviated
Relationship
With my mother
She died when
I was seventeen
My so-called marriage
Only lasted ten years
I wrote a play
Two actually
One was produced
In Paris
And the other
At Hamilton in
My sophomore year
Both plays are
Forever lost to
Posterity
A relative of mine
Consigned them
Prematurely
To the trash heap
I guess they were
Just taking up space
In the basement
Where all my
College books
And notes and
Creative materials
Were stored
I miss my early works
Like missing children
Something I also know about
But I digress

Nothing is worse
Than having arms
That are meant
To hug
With no one to hug
In sight
I have grand children
That I very seldom
Get to see
I have a fine
Education
That I seldom
Get to use
I always wanted
To be a teacher
But I could not make
That happen
For reasons beyond
My control
When push comes
To shove
All that I ever
Aspired to be
Was to emulate
My high school
French teacher
Mademoiselle Fitzpatrick
So I ended up
With a job as
A civil servant
A desk job
A 9 to 5 daily grind
That is destroying
My health as well
As my mind
I have one more year
Until I may retire
With a small pension
If I do not fuck things up
That is a big if

Let’s see
Any other complaints?
Oh yeah
I wish my dick
Was at least
Three inches longer

jhmarkowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011