A Phone Call to the Past

Don't wait for them to talk to you.
Don't flinch when you encounter snark.
Keep reading: everything's a clue.

The ones you dreamed of, till you knew;
the creep who schmoozed you in the park—
don't wait for them to talk to you.

Some roads dead-end. You'll try a few.
There's no quick way to make your mark.
Keep leaning. Everything's askew,

but when are life lines straight or true?
You have to tilt to climb an arc.
Don't wait for them to take to you.

You'll always be an upstart who
is out of line, so fizz and spark.
Keep learning. Everything's a cue

to do what only you can do.
We're all just stumbling in the dark.
Don't wait for them to flock to you.
Keep moving and you'll make it through.

Susan McLean


If you have any thoughts about this poem,  Susan McLean would be pleased to hear them