Why am I not, what?
How long have you got?
Within our allotted span we have choices few
Where we were born comes into it, true
Who are our parents, where did we live
What was the school, all this we must sieve
Then there is sex and sexuality
Don’t try to deny that harsh reality
Then there is income, covered obliquely above
Then there is luck and obviously love
Some have too much, others not enough
It begets sentimentality, or acting too tough
Why am I not something, something I’m not?
Because I was busy, dealing with my lot.
~
n.b. NaPoWriMo 2025 challenge. Day 3: Write to a prompt derived from Frank O’Hara’s poem ‘Why I Am Not an Artist’.
CLP 03/04/2025
Journey of Words 
8 responses
I love the illustration too. Is it yours?
Yes…all my own scribbling. I am available for commissions. 🙂
Made me smile. I like it… thanks.
Thank you, Selma. I’m glad you liked it. Just 27 days to go!!
I liked these lines ‘Why am I not something, something I’m not? /Because I was busy, dealing with my lot.’ Simple, straightforward answer. That’s life. No point in regretting. Be happy and move on- valuable advice.
Thank you. The past can’t be changed, but maybe we can change how we look at it.
True. That’s wisdom.
…or having good friendships. Thank you.