Down Stream

"Similes of Life" I wrote,
Just fifty years ago.
And pondered then the "stream of life"
That each of us would know.

Excitedly we looked ahead,
With choices everywhere.
And eagerly we made the plunge,
To see how we would fare.

And now at last we all have come,
A long ways down the stream.
We each have sought a hearty quest,
Of almost every dream.

A few have traveled far and wide,
And some have stayed nearby.
To those who simply traveled on
We wave a sad goodbye.

In grasping opportunities,
As near as I can find,
Professions, trades and jobs we've had
Of almost every kind.

With Doctors, Lawyers, Builders,
Salesmen, Farmers, Cooks and more.
There's been Merchants, Agents, Carpenters
And Teachers by the score.

We've had Dealers, Barbers, Poets, Writers,
Artist, Painters, Men with Dairies,
Secretaries, College Deans
And Life Insurance Actuaries.

Pastors, Bishops, Clerks and Chiefs,
And yet in all this time,
With all these many trades not one
Has picked a life of crime.

Success surpassed our failures.
And when all is said and done,
I'm proud to be a member
Of the Class of Thirty-One.