Future Tense

My hope, and pessimism, for the future!

Looking through faded photographs of a much-younger me.

When you're ten, your dreams aren't bound by reality.

He was positive--within him, the certainty did grow.

I see a happy little lad who was going to be an athletic pro.

 

If I could ask him what he thought of the future, what might he say?

What were his thoughts, his hopes and dreams that day?

Maybe, "It has nothing to do with me, it's such a distant thing."

But I'm now much closer to a hard fall than I am to any spring.

 

I kept dreaming while the future was beckoning me on,

encouraging me to hurry, before somehow it was gone.

Well, it's years later, and I think, "I was in a hurry to get HERE?

 The voice of reality is whispering in my ear,

 

"You blew it! You certainly were given every chance.

You were the one too afraid to dance.

You didn't even try to grab the brass ring,

now, it's too late, you're just playing out the string."

 

Not so fast, there, reality, I ain't quite gone yet!

I'm still dreaming of a level playing field for us all, that sweat

and hard work matters, not just an accident of birth,

and that we stop mistreating Mother Earth.

 

I'm still dreaming of a world where everyone's treated as equal,

and for justice not to fall on some like an anvil,

I'm still waiting for common sense to embrace everyone,

and for peace of mind to reign, for all, not just some.

 

Well, I may as well be wishing for water to turn to wine.

I'd be better off not dreaming, but thinking, "Hey, I got mine!"

Somewhere inside, I know my dreams are never going to happen.

The chances fall somewhere between zero and none!