Mistakes Poem by Jim Yerman

I’ve made a few mistakes in my life. I can say that with aplomb
I wore a blue brocade tux with a top hat and cane to my junior/senior prom.

I once let a beautician curl my hair...now that was really astute!
It seems I thought a curly head of hair would go great with my leisure suit.

She said a perm would make my baldness seem fuller and my love life it would prolong.
When it was over, it took but one look in the mirror to know that she was wrong.

My hair looked like a rebellious Brillo pad and I’m not being indiscreet
When I say the only female attracted to me was a French Poodle down the street!

In college while out drinking with friends I pretty much sealed my fate
When I cozied up to a pretty cheerleader and asked her for a date.

Was it the alcohol or was it love that made me forget I’d have to contend
With the boyfriend sitting next to her...was he the quarterback or a tight end?

I’m not sure, but I know my distilled confidence made me feel bold and brave and brash
What happened next is a bit blurry...I woke up face down in the trash.

The point here is we all make mistakes they await us around every turn
We shouldn’t be afraid to make them because from them we’ve so much to learn.

Without mistakes we wouldn’t have the chocolate chip cookies so many of us crave.
The slinky would have never been invented...no post it notes or microwaves.

There would be no penicillin, no fireworks would ever be seen
Without mistakes we’d see a straight tower in Pisa and miss that beautiful lean.

We will try and fail many times in our life, sometimes we’ll crash...sometimes we’ll fly
But the biggest mistake we will ever make...is when we fail to even try.

True I didn’t get a date with the cheerleader but I still think to this day
She gave me a wink and a smile as her huge boyfriend dragged me away.

I remember that moment with fondness...I know as a couple we would have been cute.
She, the beautiful cheerleader and me in my blue leisure suit.