no regrets

no regrets
by richard vargas
i haven’t owned a suit for over 10 yrs
a necktie makes me turn around
and head in the other direction
i wear shoes that don’t need to be polished
my jeans are bought on sale
i wear them until the holes
in the knees get too big
my favorite t-shirt has a picture
of Thelonius Monk on the back
saying “sometimes it’s to your advantage
for people to think you’re crazy”
my shoes are comfortable
made for walking fast down
dark alleys or summer strolls
on sidewalks when women
put on shorts and show off
their pretty legs
i don’t ride corporate jets
or company limos
the last helicopter i rode in
was at Ft Benning Georgia
the summer of ‘79
when they were training us
how to jump out of one
and be prepared to shoot
something before our feet
touched the ground
i don’t make those big
important decisions like
how to convince people
to buy something they
don’t need while paying
them as little as possible
to make it
now
out of work
doing the unemployed shuffle
eating off the dollar menu
buying gas five bucks at a time
wondering if the good old days
are gone for good
i watch them as they tell everyone
who will listen if they go down
they’re taking all of us with them
read about how they make sure
the suits are still getting bonuses
and motivational retreats at secluded
5 star hotels while eating thick cuts
of pink meat and baked potatoes
floating in hot pools of butter
i had moments in my life
when i could have joined them
sit at the table of capitalism
become a shark among the seals
but they smelled
they all smelled bad
and one day i noticed
i smelled like them
so i pushed myself away
and never turned back
today i bought a lottery ticket
my only hope for a bailout
i folded it up and put it
in my wallet
once in a while i pull it out
and hold it in my hand
this is how it is
better get used
to it