Off Broadway

He could have been a Broadway star.
She might have married into wealth.
They could have raised their children overseas.
She dreamed of playing the piano in a concert hall;
she thought that nursing would be satisfying.
He gave up jobs he loved to try and save the marriage,
he took jobs he didn't like to stay afloat.
They almost got divorced, but didn't.
They got married, but not to each other.
He could have died, she almost did.
They moved south instead of west,
north instead of east, life changing choices
taking people onto different paths,
meeting people they would not have known before
and facing good, and bad, that would have
never been a part of life had they put down roots,
or moved, or gone to college, gone another way.
The happiest among us live
their lives today instead of wishing for
what might have been, while those in misery
regret the way life treated them and blame
all those around for ruining the dreams they
didn't want enough to fight for.
He still sings and she is thankful for the little
that she has.

(c) Ellen Gillette, 2014