What If?

• Ille Smolanko, Grade 10, Modbury High School
• Poetry
• 2013

Excellence Award in the 'Dream Big 2013' competition

At a hospital in Adelaide, there lay a baby named Joe,
From a family of wealthy, but he wouldn't know so,
As he lay there, so sleepy, not a word to be said,
His parents had visions for him,
Visions they'd drill into his head,
As he grew older, on the first day of school,
His elementary school teacher asked him,
"What do you want to do?"
Little Joe thought to himself,
Thoughts swirled through his head,
Basketball player, singer, movie star?
Then he remembered what his parents said,
He sadly replied doctor,
His face turned bright red,
When he got home, he ate dinner,
Then he went straight to bed,
35 years from this day,
With his own job, his own house
He flicked over to the sports channel,
His eyes widened, thinking "wow!"
As he hopped in the car,
His body felt stiff,
He thought to himself and thought to himself,
"What if, damn. What if?"