The Loser - Part I
Pat Westfield sat down at the table long,
the room crowded with all his family,
a last reunion now that dad was sick,
the cancer came back at age seventy.
He didn’t look that bad up at the head,
where he held court with all his grandkids,
and Pat was glad they’d all get this last chance
to thank him for the many things he did.
But across from Pat sat his brother, Ron,
who’d somehow found a shirt with a collar,
his wife and kid in department store clothes,
about all Ron could buy with his dollars.
He had come all this way, and now stood out
in the fine banquet hall Pat had rented,
surrounded by more successful people,
who earned at least six times more than he did.
Their sister Marie was an eye surgeon,
and brother Ken had a big export firm,
Pat himself managed several index funds,
but somehow seeing Ron just made him burn.
“I see that you tried to clean yourself up,”
said Pat looking at the man before him,
“I suppose that we can’t expect much more.”
But Ron just looked back with his own wan grin.
“You’re doing this now at this last meeting?”
Said Ron, looking not the least insulted,
“You can’t stow your pompous nonsense for dad,
on his last chance to see all of his kids?”
Pat just rolled his eyes at the brothers’ words,
“O don’t try to claim the moral high ground.
In truth, I’m shocked that you even came here,
your presence just drags the whole evening down.
Dad sent us o all the best private schools,
Ivy-league colleges, connections galore,
you aced them all, and now what do you do?
Paddle damn tourists around a lakeshore!
Most folks would kill for the chances you had,
you at least could have made something of it.
The rest of us did, not so ungrateful,
yet you feel no shame, not even one bit!”
Ron just looked at him, and there in his eyes
was something like pity, aimed back at him.
Worse still, his fool of a younger brother
still kept on his face that maddening grin.
“I’d try to explain,”said Ron defiantly,
“But I’ve tried before, you can’t understand.
Tell your ego to find its fix elsewhere,
and keep you voice down, we’re here for that man.”
Pat just scoffed and shook his head at all this,
said, “Fools don’t get to tell me what to do.
I guess every family has a loser,
and in ours there’s no question it’s you.”
CONTINUES IN PART II.
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