GENTLE MAN, THE

What I Could Have Been

32 What I Could Have Been I could have been the son you wanted, The baby asleep in the bassinet, The freckled faced kid next door, The boy with the letter on his sweater. I could have been the young man You read about in Business Week, You know, the one who overcame all odds To strike it filthy rich. I could have been your guy, Faithful through the passing years, Sending you a dozen roses each Monday— For nothing in particular. I could have been your father, Your friend’s overprotective pop, Your mother’s favorite brother, Or an uncle to your cousin Freddie. I could have been a translator— Fluent enough to speak ten languages, And carry an extra tongue or two, So I would never be misunderstood. I could have been what I wasn’t, And then a little bit more— Just so no one really thought I didn’t have it in me. And I could have been an angel, Floating on eternity’s edge, Waiting to earn my wings, Free to try anything I pleased. ...