Poem: "I Was a Different Person Then"

1.
I was a different person then,
But I guess you knew that.
Still it remains for me to
Persuade the unpersuaded.

2.
If only I had become a cult
Figure in someplace like Japan,
Others would do the heavy lifting
For me – and people like you, too.

3.
I know, I know: wishful
Thinking is all I’ve got, but
Such inheritance served well
When they so outnumbered us.

4.
There was a moment when
I felt I finally got it right,
Both giving a shit and not
Giving a shit at the same time.

5.
Now it’s time to introduce
Me to my future self. I feel
We’re going to see eye to eye
And for once let old grudges go.

 

M. Bogen
January 2025