I never managed to become
The one I always longed to be
I didn’t study hard enough
As anyone can see

I used the only tools I had
None of them came from home
I never had a backup plan
I had to go it all alone

I learned to work a pretty face
But though it gave me one step up
I found I gained no real rewards
I held a mostly empty cup.

Peggy Owner was the one
I wanted to become
I worked beside her long ago
And hoped to borrow some

Small portion of the grace and charm
That made her loved by all
Who met her in the student store
And fell beneath her thrall.

Short and plump, no beauty queen
But she had a warm heart.
The love she had for everyone
Is what set her apart.

I wanted so to be like her
And not like hapless me;
But I was chained to who I was
And never could break free.

So many years have come and gone
Since we worked side by side
Sometimes I stop and think of her
Those are the times I cried.

I think about a college girl
With dreams of hope and glory
And realize that I’m just me
And that’s my whole sad story.
ljm