father, what have I learned
from your mistakes?
to work harder than you,
to toil at my craft,
to struggle in vain?
we are much alike, father,
yet we have little in common.
you chased illusive dreams,
always waiting for the payout,
the next big deal,
the pie-in-the-sky glory
that never came.
you sought favor out of
thin air while I harness
the lightning and create
something that only holds
value in the mind’s eye.
father, what have I learned?
we both squandered our time.
we both failed to cash in.
maybe I’m giving up too soon.
you were on the verge
of making a million until
the day you died
while I’ll accept my fate
as a starving artist.
father, what have I learned
from your mistakes?