A Few Regrets

Too late to take up origami
Or write that novel
I’ve been putting off for thirty years.
Too late to learn French
Like I promised.
Too late to get divorced
Or learn a new skill.
Too late to quit smoking
Why bother at my age?
Too late to quit drinking
To please my wife.
Did I mention
Too late to get divorced?
Too late to learn
Another programming language
I started with BASIC
And ended with BASIC.
Too late to go back to work
You get used to sleeping twelve hours a day.
Too late to become rich
No matter what the TV ads say.
Too late to buy Microsoft stock.
Too late to sell Enron.
Too late to leave my wife
For the woman next door
She moved away ten years ago.
Too late for self-analysis
I haven’t changed in fifty years
What makes you think I’ll change now?
Too late to learn to paint watercolors
In washed out pink and blue.
Too late to get my passport renewed
I’m not going anywhere.
Too late to learn to like Republicans
George W. took care of that.
Too late to go to the party.
Too late to apologize.
Not to late to feel regret.

Published on Outlet website