“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”- George Eliot
Earthquake Weather
We used to call it
earthquake weather.
The air had a metallic
smell about it.
And it tingled.
Like if you
snapped your fingers,
your thumb ‘d ignite.
Your skin wanted to dance.
And everything you touched
felt urgent. Defiant. Hot, but
not hot like heat, more like
friction.
Friction will let loose the thunder
in your brain. It can change
the course of life, your choices.
Growing up was earthquake weather.
“You’ll just get married and have kids.
I’m not wasting my money on
university fees so that you can sit
at home having babies.” – My dad.
I can’t honestly say that things
turned out differently than they
were meant to be. Sometimes
choices reconcile themselves
to life is what it is meant to be,
but it’s never too late to realise that.
Written for Miz Quickly’s Day 18. A poem after a line from George Eliot. Shared with @Experimentsinfc #APoemADay on Twitter ©Misky 2021
It's Still Life 
7 responses to “Miz Quickly’s Day 18: A Poem after a Line by George Eliot”
I’ve always had trouble with the concept of “meant to be” but you address it perfectly here, Misky. Thank you.
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An echo here of the conversation my dad had with my sisters. 🙂
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No one really expected much of us, did they?
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No they didn’t, but we forged our own path anyway. 😁
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Yes, we did, and surprised them all.
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I can relate to this even although I wasn’t dissuaded from going to University. But I lacked ambition. I made choices, life happened. I am here – not wonderfully accomplished, not earning big money, not famous… just me. For better or for worse.
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I like the whole concept of “just me”. ❤️
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