Warming Foresight: I Did'Nt..... I Am Not Poem by Mahfooz Ali

You probably won't believe this,
But when I was in my teens
I was told I could be a star,
The best they had ever seen.
Don't laugh, now. I am not joking.
I was a Wonder Kid.
Had a whole room full of trophies.
Well, they are gone now, but I did.
I did stage and cycling,
No, I am not kidding you.
Wrote articles for the paper,
I even did the news.
I could have been a model too,
Had really cool head shots.
Yes, I could have. Guess I should have.
But I didn't, so I am not.

Say what? What happened to me?
Well, it all became too much.
With competitions, school and shows,
an endless, friendless rush.
I could probably get back up there now,
If I just had the time,
But, you should have seen me
Back when I was in my prime.
Everything I touched turned golden,
Every wall before me fell.
With talent straight from Heaven
I stepped onstage and gave them blow.
I could have been a renowned,
A legend!
Yes, I could have. Guess I should have.
But I didn't, so I am not.

I got tired of people hounding me,
The list would never end.
I never got to goof around
and hang out with my friends.
There was never time to just relax,
The schedule got too tough.
I was - don't smoke it all.
Come on, I bought the stuff!
I could have been a writer too,
Back in my younger days.
People loved everything I wrote.
I could really turn a phrase.
My characters were great,
but it's so hard to think of plots.
Yes, I could have. Guess I should have.
But I didn't, so I am not.

OK! Forget that old stuff,
And grab me another.
Don't mind those dusty ice trays;
they have been up there for years.
I AM STILL THE BEST! I will show you all!
That's it, this is a War!
No one will ever beat my score.
I am all grown up, I have got guts,
And this life suits me fine.
I work the hard to shift again,
So lots of overtime.
I could have been a lot more,
But what I gave is what I got.
Yes, I could have. Guess I should have.
But I didn't, so I am not.

And one day again I will shine.























































































(This poem took three days to be finalised on paper)