Tattoo, a poem by Roe (the Ancient Texan)

Tattoo I’ve considered a tattoo But I’m afraid I won’t value tomorrow What I value today. My daughter, that’s tried knitting And a dozen other things None of them she mastered Before moving on Can choose her tattoos in an afternoon Confident she will love it Love it now and tomorrow. The solstice is next weekend At least that’s what I’ve heard Solstice is a scary thing For a man of my age A day of darkness mostly Like the end of life With only a legacy With only a legacy left behind With ONLY on a legacy. My legacy could be The last western expert on magnesium A renaissance of technology and know-how That America left behind An America that says “Not in my backyard” As China locks and loads With people and firepower On essential technology, we are too noble to do. My legacy could be writing Novels, poems, flooding my mind From the moment I wake Until I lay sleepless in bed Words, stories, flooding from my past My travels, lovers, and dreams Connections I’ve made along the way All fodder for a novel if enhanced With what might have been. But, but, but Can I do them all Or even one. And how do I chose Like the tattoo I never had. Roe Dec 2019