The End of the Road

 

THE END OF THE ROAD

 

I’M ALMOST AT THE END OF MY ROAD

THOUGH I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I’LL GET THERE

BOTH ENDS ARE CLOSE AND I’M PLAYING BOTH

 WHERE WILL IT LEAD ME, I DON’T KNOW WHERE

 

THE LONG ROAD, AT FIRST, I HAD ENJOYED

LATER, THOUGH, IT WAS NOT TOO MUCH FUN

AS MY HAPPINESS FATE HAD DESTROYED

AND WITH IT, MY SAD RIDE HAD BEGUN

 

MY FATHER FROM THIS WORLD DEPARTED

TO FEND FOR OURSELVES WE ALL WERE LEFT

A PERIOD OF SADNESS HAD STARTED

A POORER LIFE WE HAD TO ACCEPT

 

SOON, MY BAD LUCK SHOWED ITS UGLY FACE

IT WAS WHEN I WAS A LITTLE CHILD

BUT THAT WAS JUST A RATHER SHORT PHASE

WHAT CAME MUCH LATER WAS NOT SO MILD

 

AT TEN, I HAD TO BECOME A MAN

FORCED TO QUIT SCHOOL SO THAT WORK I COULD

OF MANUAL LABOR I AM NOT A FAN

FOR ME, FIELD WORK HAS NEVER BEEN GOOD

 

VERY SOON, GOOD FORTUNE CAME TO ME

TO THE U. S., I WOULD SOON COMMUTE

I KNEW NOT WHAT MY FUTURE WOULD BE

THAT IT WAS GOOD, THERE WAS NO DISPUTE

 

NOW OTHER BAD THINGS I HAD TO FACE

DEPORTATION I HAD TO GO THROUGH

 I RETURNED AND WAS, WITH OUR LORD’S GRACE,

 A GRADUATE AND CITIZEN, TOO

 

GOOD LUCK AND HARD WORK HELPED ME ACHIEVE

WHAT, FOR SO LONG, I HAD ALWAYS DREAMED

WHAT I HAD EARNED, I COULDN’T BELIEVE

WITH PRIDE AND JOY, I HAPPILY BEAMED

 

 

 

 

 

 

WITH BACHELOR’S AND MASTER’S DEGREES

AND A TEACHER’S CREDENTIAL TO BOOT

MY WORK WOULD NOW BE MORE OF A BREEZE

TO FIELD WORK, I SAID GOOD-BYE FOR GOOD

 

NOW TO THE MIDDLE CLASS I BELONG

NEVER A PEON, NOT ANYMORE

TO THAT KIND OF LIFE I SAID “SO LONG!”

SINCE THEN, I HAVE HAD GOOD THINGS GALORE

 

BUT NOW THAT MY END IS GETTING NEAR

MY STATION IN LIFE DOES ME NO GOOD

IN DEATH, WE ARE ALL THE SAME, I FEAR

IT WON’T MATTER WHERE IN LIFE I STOOD

 

WHEN I REACH MY END, I’LL SURELY SAY

THAT FIELD WORK WAS NEVER MEANT FOR ME

MY JOB WAS EASIER AND WITH MORE PAY

THAT WAS HOW I WANTED IT TO BE

 

LIFE HAS BEEN A HEAVEN AND A HELL

AND BOTH OF THEM I’VE HAD TO SURVIVE

WHICH I PREFERRED, I’M SURE I CAN TELL

I SURVIVED BOTH AND I’M STILL ALIVE

 

WHERE I WILL END UP, I CANNOT SHARE

IF IT’S IN HEAVEN, IT WILL BE NEAT

BUT ONCE I’M DEAD, I REALLY DON’T CARE

I’M USED TO BOTH THE COOL AND THE HEAT

 

I HAVE BEEN TOLD I’M PESSIMISTIC

IN ALL MY THINKING AND MY WRITING

I SIMPLY CAN’T BE OPTIMISTIC

WHEN MY HEALTH SIMPLY KEEPS ON SLIDING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

         I’M THINKING OF THE LAWS OF NATURE

OF MY BIRTH AND OF THE END OF LIFE

OF COURSE, I STILL CAN OFTEN CAPTURE

THE GRAND DELIGHT OF STILL BEING ALIVE

 

BUT I AM SIMPLY BEING REALISTIC

WHEN I DECLARE THAT I WILL SOON DIE

AT EIGHTY-THREE WHO’S OPTIMISTIC

IN THINKING THAT DEATH WILL PASS THEM BY

 

I WILL SURELY LET LIFE TAKE ITS COURSE

AND ENJOY IT FOR ALL THAT IT’S WORTH

WHAT’S LEFT OF IT I’LL ENJOY, OF COURSE

BECAUSE I KNOW GOD HAS THE LAST WORD

Reviews

[Lydia Shutter]

You are a true success story! Yes, enjoy every day and be proud of what you have achieved. I enjoyed reading about your life. Lydi**