The Game of Life

The 11-year-old I babysit

Brought the game to the couch

Unfolded the board

Setup the bank

And asked me what color car 

I wanted to be

I skipped college

Became a singer

Learned to skydive

Got married 

Went to night school

Became a fashion designer

Bought a windmill for a house

Didn’t have kids

Won the lottery constantly

Sold my house

Chose the risky path

Took money from people

Never had a loan

And retired first to Country Acres 

As a multi-millionaire

 

Over the course of my life

The 11-year-old told me

Again and again how lucky I was

And there were times

As I casually exchanged smaller bills 

For larger ones 

To keep my finances tidy

That I could almost see 

How that might be true

Yet underneath all that comfort 

All my material success

Was a nagging sense that

The only thing I ever wanted 

Was to sing