Regretters pine
for an alternative,
better past.
A past before
decisions they made
delivered repercussions.
Regretters beat themselves up.
should have listened
should have run with gut instinct
should never have done it
should never have considered doing it.
should have laughed at the suggestion
should have thought about the consequences
It is to be regretted ...
Regretfully ...
Sorry about that.
Regret is self-sorry.
If only ...
Had they not met their future partner,
had they not followed up initial attraction
before partner let them down,
before they let partner down,
before they committed so much,
where might they now be?
Who can say?
Regretters can.
They'd be, they think,
in a vastly preferable place.
But what might be the opposite of feeling regretful?
A sense of blustering sureness?
Or perfectly sanguine acceptance?
Perhaps it's only human to consider your actions
or not consider them and reconsider after the event.
I'm beginning to regret
sounding off so confidently.
This poem was going to slice through ditherers,
lay waste paddocks of might-have-beeners.
Everyone faces choices.
Kierkegaard claims you either do it or don't do it,
whatever the decision, you'll regret both.
Equally you might celebrate
taking either path.
bw
|