Coulda Woulda Shoulda

Much of my life has been spent playing it safe.  However, right before I met my wife, I made a decision to step outside my comfort zone and live my life free of regrets.  Things that I normally would not have done in a million years, I did.  Had it not been for that change, my wife and I would not be together today.

In order to get myself in a state where I actually had the desire to step outside my norm, I imagined what it would be like to reach the end of my days and reflect back on my life if I kept playing it safe.  This exercise gave me the perspective and motivation to make a change.

Regrets are typically the result of living life based on fears and the expectations of others as opposed to the results we truly want.  Fortunately, even though we cannot change the past, we have the chance to change the present and future based on what we have learned.  However, we must remember that eventually our time here will be up, so we shouldn’t take tomorrow for granted.

I wrote the poem Coulda Woulda Shoulda to express what it would be like to live a life of fear and eventually run out of time.  This poem expresses what it would be like to have regrets at the end of life.

 

Coulda Woulda Shoulda

Coulda been someone,

Coulda changed the world,

Coulda had more fun,

Coulda loved my girl.

Coulda bought that ring,

Coulda had a wife,

Coulda made her sing,

Coulda lived that life…

 

If I tried.

Why didn’t I try?

 

Woulda told that joke,

Woulda wrote that book,

Woulda watched my smoke,

Woulda made you look.

Woulda took that trip,

Woulda spoke my mind,

Woulda shook my hips,

Woulda made her mine…

 

If I took time.

I woulda shined.

 

Shoulda gave my all,

Shoulda swung real hard,

Shoulda took more falls,

Shoulda gave my heart.

Shoulda let it go,

Shoulda let her in,

Shoulda made her smile,

Shoulda let her win…

 

Before it was too late.

Now time won’t wait.

 

Time is molasses

Dripping

When our lives begin.

Time is the present

Slipping

Past the touch of skin.

Time is tomorrow

Tempting

Our dreams to relax.

Time is forever

Gifting

Then taking it back.

 

Time can heal our wounds,

Redeem our mistakes…

But shows no mercy

When we move too late.

 

I wish I had known,

Like the light of the moon,

Time would come so softly

And leave so soon.