Should I Regret Poem by Shalom Freedman

Should I regret
Having lived my life
For a mistake?

I thought I might be a writer
Others would want to read
I am not
And most probably will never be-

Sometimes I think this is alright
I did what I needed to do with my life
I wrote and learned much
And enjoyed most of it

But there are times
Like now
When the mistake hurts
When the word failure is not a painless word

There are times I think
I should have done some small ordinary thing
And made an ordinary good and happy life
Instead of writing and writing
With no real response no answer
Perhaps my father was right
A simple grade-school or high- school teacher
No great ambition no sad failure
Instead of a poor old babbler babbling still
And waiting for Eureka from somewhere out there
Which does not want to know
I exist