Having lived my might-have-been,
I have no lost dream to mourn.
I’ll always recall how it felt,
how it mattered, how it ended.
The full reward of choosing it is clear,
and the secret satisfaction of its end.
These might-have-beens can’t endure
the wearing down of a lasting life.
Their magic must fade in translation
from the way we wish things were.
to the way things have to be.
One life is not large enough for both.
