Poem: Of Course I Wrote

This is the poem that came closest to being my life, but for a personal leap of faith.

Of Course I Wrote Of course I wrote I thought that we were going somewhere,     this world of mine and me But she threw me off like a bad bronc,     into the age of older men,     when I was still a child     in my mind     and proved herself unchanged The same wars as my father’s wars     and his father’s The blinder side of greed,     when I thought I’d begun     to see something better Grinding out instead     the same old product,     better advertised And I bought it all too willingly And if that sounds trite     or too abused a use of words,     it’s because I found myself     an abuser like all others When I should have been more,     invested more     and owed more too Came up bankrupt, dusting off     the grit of better things It’s enough, just to have been here,     has to be enough,     because it’s all there is My ride’s been a good ride, eight seconds     right to the bell, but like I said,     I thought we would go somewhere     and not just spin in the saddle It’s left me dazed and staggering,     tossed off among the scribblers

This poem is included in Jim Freeman's poetry collection THE SMELL OF TWEED AND TOBACCO available here in print or as an e-Book in your favorite formats.