Average - Feb 13 2024

 

Average

Feb 13 2024



I wonder what became of them.

The star athlete

who got the girls.

The dreamy kid,

who sat in the last row

bent over his desk

drawing fantasy worlds.

The class bully

who'd been held back twice,

looked like a grown-up

compared to us.

Did the cool kids breeze through life,

or do they live in a trailer park

with 5 of their own

a pregnant wife?

Does the one who was into pictures

draw comic books,

or did he join a software start-up

and become a millionaire?

The bully

end up behind bars

or get into politics?

Was high school

the high-water mark

of a disappointing life,

like the popular kids

blessed with good looks

we either envied

or lusted after?

Or the low point

for the later bloomers

and creative geniuses,

the hard time

they have to put in

before they're free to breathe

and make their mark?

Or does it predetermine us,

stuck

as we were

in those formative years?

Like the brute

who picked on easy prey

but couldn't help himself,

who was beaten

by the hard-drinking father

who would later abandon them.

I was average.

Sat somewhere in the middle

did my best to get along.

Sometimes raised my hand

worked just enough to pass.

Tried hard in practice,

but during games

warmed the bench

unless it was too far gone,

because the coach was old school

and winning was everything.

Turned out as expected.

Unexceptional.