Dragging his feet along the icy street, in torn-dirty overalls,
His beard is overgrown, hair is greasy and his appearance uneasy.
His breath is toxic and so is his luck as he mutters the words,
Oh what could have been!
Passing the street he sees a suitman on a call,
His hair well groomed, a suit in one hand and brightness in his eyes.
But the man’s eyes are dull as they fall upon the suitman,
Wondering where that bright future of his went.
He remembers a past that now like a dream
He was successful and famed, but that was short lived
Toxic luck robbed life out of him.
As the memory becomes overwhelming the man took another sip
Of the toxins he had filled his body with
He looks at the suitman and mutters the words,
Oh what could have been!
Walking the city, he passes by a park, inside he sees sitting two lovers
For them it seemed like the world was aloof.
As they gazed into each other’s eyes,
Looking at each other’s world.
But the man’s world was unlucky, devoid of love,
Wondering where that intimate future went.
Where did the solemn arms of his lovers go,
Where did the warmth of family.
He giggles as he can’t remember,
All he remembers are the faces.
A tear rolls down his cheek
As he gives the lovers one last look,
Eyes now filled with guilt the man mutters the words
Oh what could have been!
Not so far away he saw kids sitting around,
Tired after a day of playing, exchanging laughs.
The perils of the future do not trouble them
For they have each other.
But the man is alone,
Wondering where his companions went.
Did he push them away
Or did they stop enjoying him
Perhaps they forgot to remember,
About a friend they cherished.
Or was he always alone?
The thoughts start consuming the man
Lifting his bottle to take a sip,
He finds the bottle, just like his luck, empty
He hears the laugh from afar,
Remembering the laughs he once shared he muttered the words,
Oh what could have been!
He now walks slower, outside the city.
He falls, he gets up only to fall again.
Perhaps in forgetting his memories,
He may have forgotten himself.
The man wondered did he ever know himself,
What he should have asked was, did he ever love himself?
In a race trying to be better than yesterday,
Did he start hating himself?
Could his misfortune not be bad luck,
But himself.
Remembering his mistakes he mutters the words,
Oh what could have been!
Without the toxins, memories start pouring.
Things he does not want to remember.
In a future he wonders, is there a future…
Where he was happy.
Could there ever have been a future like that.
Or was this destiny?
As the past haunts him, he starts shaking.
Falls to the ground begging for it to stop.
Luck was on his side, for the memories stopped.
His mind only had the sound of ocean.
He looks at the calm ocean.
So quiet and silent.
As he takes one more thought he mutters the words
Oh what could have been.
He jumps, falling again.
The ocean there to catch him.
He feels uneasy, he feels restless
As the light from above vanishes.
Suddenly he is at ease, quiet.
The ghosts have gone,
He laughs one last time and mutters
Oh what could have been!