Thursday, March 1, 2012




ON  READING  SHAKESPEARE 
ON HIS WAY HOME FROM WORK

He struck out three times
in the State Championship game -
some 27 years ago….

He took up the harmonica at age 8,
the trombone at 10 and the guitar at
13  - and never lasted at any one of
them for more than a month ….

The first girl he really fell in love with
dropped him for another guy - and it
ruined the second half of his senior year
of high school even though every girl
in the school paused as he walked
into the cafeteria at lunchtime ….

He went to two different colleges and one
community college - but never finished
any one of them …. even though ….

He lost  two jobs. He was cut. They kept
others but didn’t keep him. So sometimes
bus rides home from a job he didn’t like were
tough - and he wasn’t getting any younger ….

He put on weight ….

Yet that dark night - in an aisle seat -
with a dim small light overhead - on a 
cold commuter bus - which was 
crawling along because of a winter 
accident just ahead on the road - 
he was picturing his wife and 
his four kids at home - waiting for him -
especially his youngest daughter - and he
laughed semi-out loud while others growled
out loud…. Now he knew first hand the
meaning of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 2 …. And 
he started reading his book again - thinking,
"Now let me see what Sonnet 3 is getting at ...."

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2012

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