The Astronaut's Speech

This evening I went to an astronaut’s speech

He talked about all of the things that we teach

Of staying in school and of following dreams

Persisting no matter how dark it all seems

He talked about spacewalks, he’s done quite a few

All the things that he’s done are what I’d like to do

He’s flown in the shuttle, he’s launched seven times

(While I’m sitting here making sketches and rhymes)

As I heard all his stories I had to look back

On the chances I’ve missed and the skills that I lack

Cause our choices in life make it branch like a tree

And if things had been different it could have been me

It could have been me signing books for a crowd

With a stellar career that makes everyone proud

It could have been me soaring up into space

With a heavenly view of the whole human race

And it could have been me with those medals and pins

Enough to fill boxes and baggies and bins

But instead of a life filled with rockets and flight

My own humble home’s what awaits me tonight

When I get there my girls are asleep in their beds

So I whisper good night and kiss each on their heads

And I realize if anything changed in my life

I wouldn’t be here with my daughters and wife

So despite how attractive that “What If?” game seems

Sometimes it works out when you table your dreams