Life in my lane, my very own lane, I think we each get our own lane, at least at birth, at 70 I know I am still very much in my own lan

Proud to be in my own lane as it is no small feat

My feet have kept me there, too, mostly yes neat

I have worked hard to keep it my own, marching

At my own beat, sometimes with sweat on my

Skin, sometimes getting tired from the great effort

To keep me there and not swim over into someone

Else’s lane, I was okay at swimming, done it most

Of my life, pretty cool was I at Fort Myer  with

Althea and others, mostly girls my age, we’d listen

To 45 RPM’s on our plastic record players on the

Grass by the sides of the great 50 meter pool out-

Side , I remember hearing “ Red Rubber Ball “

Sung by the Cyrkle ( written by Paul Simon I

Learned much later ), that was gosh darned kool!

I had my circle of friends, admired swimmer

Hessima from a distance, he was both in his

Own lane as well as in a faster swimming league!

Those morning practice sessions gave me fatigue

Yet as youthful then I rebounded rather quickly

Kept my thin lanky hair growing longer physique 

And , on some level must surely captured the 

Eyes of some of the girls, though which ones

Then I am not sure our flirtations were much

More than just that, childish crushes that were

Occurring with us yet quite not sure of what to

Do with them, in our own lanes still, not yet

Crossing over as our signals were erratic and

Sudden and strong, none of us yet in the wrong

Hearts beating quick glances, not yet romances

I am sure that in my lane my free style strokes

Were quite measured, quite arm-stretches long

Cutting and sliding quick into those heavily 

Chlorinated pool baby blue sky-colored waters

The sun out often, I remember that well, also

Remember that Katy Bean Bag as I called 

Her with great affection was not there, but I

Managed anyway though she was my breath

Of the freshest, brightest, most intense gulps

Of air, so beautiful, so much ,ore accomplished

In so many more things than I, and yet we were

Close friends , somehow,  I fitting in around

Lisa and Althea, Eric and Robby, Kirk and 

Margaret, Gayle and Fred Grabowsky and 

more!

We each were in our own lanes, I learned

Some about this much later through Crystal

As she came to the wine store years later to

Buy her wins, mostly sparkling from me, 

She shared then how all the girls liked me

Because they could actually have a conver-

Sation with me that was neither weird or

Strange. Thank you Crystal for sharing this

With me, I appreciate knowing this as then

None of the girls ever shared this with me

Even though on some level my lane could

Be welcome next to any of their lanes then.

These memories growing up seem to stick

Deeply in our subconscious of all of us,

Whether the bus we are on is in one lane

Or another, as long as while it is driving

It does not cross over into a lane coming

Toward us, we we’re safe, except from

Each other, as we were know to be some-

Times quite mean to one another. I took

Pride in doing always my best to be both

Considerate and kind to other’s feelings

And aware of their state of minds so

Fragile, so full of leaping and dashing

And prancing and preening, careening

Hormones those unmistakable contrary

Estrogen lanes and those hooting and how-

Ling testosterone lanes, too, put them close

Together in boy-girl-boy-girl-boy-boy-girl-

Girl lanes and watch yourselves for our

Exploding very human fireworks that so

Combustible, so ready to go off in any dire

Not always safe directions, hit one another

And stop us often so wounded in our lanes!

Happily married we will soon be just more than a week

43 years and still strong and still growing, each in our

Very own two lanes side by side much of our times!

Two children all mostly grown up now, these are very

Much though different times and our lanes get crossed

Bossed tossed , seldom time to just be mossed, so

Much more to sort through, too much meddling from

Start to finish, people trying to make over into theirs

Our lans that very much should always be our own!

Let us all of this be quite aware, ready to fight forever

To the bone, our rights to be on our own thrones,

Live always by our own ver unique rings & tones!

Take that you robbers you thief's you bad bad peops!