THAT WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN

He sat alone beneath a tree,
Watching the other children play;
One child slipped and fell,
Yet he was unable to run for help.

He peeked into a junior high dance,
Listening silently to the music;
One pretty girl was standing aside,
Yet he cold not ask her to dance.

He walked behind tassel-clad seniors,
Following his graduating class;
One right ahead reached the platform,
Yet he was unable to receive a diploma.

He roamed the grounds of a university,
Reviewing all possible majors;
One man was to be a doctor,
Yet he would not join the adventure.

He went, once again, to his mother's home,
Staring into an old wooden trunk;
One document lay hidden inside,
The proof of his abortion.