Wouldn'T Want To Trade To Be In Your Shoes Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Even if you decided not to show up,
Or came late with another excuse to make...
What is going to happen,
Will occur with or without you.
This is not anyone's decision to make.
Those who took the bait...
Cared nothing about another one's fate!
Or values at all.

You've been told this all before.
For decades!
But you chose to ignore,
To seranade, wine and dine!
Exploring temptations more!
And...
Those carefree thoughtless times you had?
Are over!
And there is no need to be sad!

You had more than enough time,
To use your mind and listen!
But you had good credit then.
In fact...
You pranced around.
Flaunting all over town your 'good' fortune!
With leased smiles and grins...
Owed, taxed and mortgaged!
Hoarding and deceiving others,
Out of their portion.

And I was out of the cliques you mixed with!
Out of the 'loop' and called a fool.
Now you are sitting in pools of debt!
There is nothing you and I have in common,
Or can share!
And I'm not sharing with you regret.

You laughed at me then.
Because I refused to worship 'that'...
With others like you,
Who prayed to attract more in those dens of sin!
That's all you really wanted to do.
To keep up pretenses!
As you looked down upon others...
With pity!
But not with a helping hand.
And you believed God helped you!
To do 'that' to 'them'?

God is not about 'things' at all.
You put those before Him!
And I'm sure He hates to see you crawl!
But then again...
He watched you watch me,
Stumble and fall...
With my back up against the wall.

And He aided me to stand strong and tall!
I wonder what He will do for you...
If you ever bother to give Him a call!
And I am sure there will be a lot...
He has to show and say to you!
I wouldn't want to trade to be in your shoes!
Not with so many like you now,
Singing those hymns off-key...
And those blues out of tune!