Hopefully, if you are just wicked enough
You will get the chance to grow old
and revel in the memories that you made
leaving and loving and lying
leasing and lacking and losing
Rubbing ancient arms covered with very real reminders
Of things no one knows you did
Of things no one knows that you survived
But god, and the shadows and your baggage full of ghosts
Hopefully by then you will have earned the right
To do what all wise old ones do
which is sit on their porches and warn the bad children
that if they don’t straighten out they won’t see tomorrow
And if they have any sense, they won’t listen, just like you didn’t
And they will earn their stripes as well
loitering and longing and languishing
leaving and loving and lying
leasing and lacking and losing…