I almost did not make this poetry book,
These words were lucky to get a fair look,
And the indignity I will now have to face,
They placed me in this ‘Whatever’ space.

See I’m here just to make up the numbers,
A used car amongst brand new Hummers,
A poem that sadly is not seen as gloss,
I’m at a loss to see why I’m destined for dross.

I’m the B side on those forty five vinyls,
The tune that never makes best song finals,
And now with all that new technology,
I might not be included at all on CD.

I’m the film footage that you never did see,
That you would not even see if it was free,
I’m lying on the floor in that film archive hut,
Only to be shown if there’s a Director’s Cut.

I’m the bench player that never gets a go,
I’m sure I have got some talents to show,
There is a battle for others to be fought,
But all I do is clean up the court.

I’m the kid that’s picked last at our school,
Why do they think I’m some kind of fool?
So I can’t catch, when they play that game cricket,
But why make me stand there as their wicket?

So you might think I’m some kind of loser,
But before I get upset and totally lose it,
History serves up plenty of surprises:
The turnarounds, upheavals and reprisals.

See the Phoenix can rise from the ashes;
The flip side can become one of those hit smashes;
The bench player can get a chance and take it;
The kid can become a brain surgeon and make it.

And even you have read till the end of this poem,
It shows they were right to give it a poem home,
So it might be worthwhile for me to smile a while, 
For ‘losers can be grinners’ and ‘grinners are winners’!

© Neil Dufty