Love Poem: Choices
Richard Rodriguez Avatar
Written by: Richard Rodriguez

Choices

I shall tell you a story,                     
if I may be so bold,
may prove to be, 
the saddest one ever told;
it started back in high school 
while in my teens
I fell in love with a beauty 
I thought her my queen
as time went on 
I am ashamed to say, 
I got her in trouble 
in the family way;
I could have said, 
it wasn’t my fault, 
and she could
have said the Same; 
instead in each other’s arms, 
we detrimentally shared the
blame; 
a twitter feeling rested on my soul, 
as both of her parents were
told, 
we expected, shame, anger, and rage 
and all other things that make one age, 
but behold, a truly turn of events 
the evinced the true meaning of
parents,
15
there was none of those bad feelings 
that I could discern
only a little pity and plenty of concern 
they explained to us the fatuity of our
deed; 
of the untimely release of my seed,
after  that talk, told with
precision 
they left it up to us to make  
a decision we weighed the facts
as carefully as we could 
all the while I cursed 
my forceful entrance into
manhood; 
the decision to see the doctor 
came to our head all the while
wishing 
some others were in our stead 
after that visit, we were both broken
hearted
and soon afterwards, we parted; 
my thoughts go back every now and then 
of a mystery child  
who would have been ten..