Just remember

If I die a failure
Just remember
I tried my best.
There are things
I left incomplete,
you can complete them
for me.

If I die a failure
Penniless and drunk
Just remember
the rum kept me warm
and I left no will
that my children
could fight over.

If I die a failure
old and tired,
dejected and depressed.
Just remember
I lived a happy life
but all happiness
is short lived.

If I die a failure
attempting great feats
that I couldn’t pull off,
opportunities I squandered.
Just remember,
It takes great courage
to attempt the impossible.

If I die a failure
alone,
cold and hungry,
without a written note
in my front pocket.
Just remember
there was a poem. Find it.

If I die a failure
shot by the mob
over gambling debts
that I promised
I would pay
but didn’t
Just remember. You can’t always win..
…but you gotta keep trying.

© Jay Kaushal