Creating "If Only"

Last words.............regrets................When is enough ever enough?.............Oh, my, that
endless loop.

If Only

As Tantalus pleaded,

All only ever out of reach,

So shall I,

For the alchemy of properly positioned syllables,

The perfect mathematical equation of sounds

Whispered out from a broken heart,

That allows me to have

That one last minute again

Before you take your last breath.

As Garbo bid,

From well lit corners of her stage,

So shall I

To get that perfect retake,

The best possible script written,

Delivered in most dramatic fashion

To re-create the final scene,

To assuage my grief

At the stunning irreversibility

Of your death.

This poem was published in my poetry collection "Big Questions, Little Sleep."

Creating "If Only"

Why is there never enough time to say it all?

Afterthoughts for "If Only"

We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.

Vince Lombardi

Never regret anything you have done with a sincere affection; nothing is lost that is born of the heart.

Basil Rathbone

We crucify ourselves between two thieves: regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow.

Fulton Oursler