Cheers to the Underachiever

This guy’s a genius,
I swear,
And he’s accomplished a few things, you know?
That guy was an engine who proved he could,
And bravo for his restraint when he didn’t.
I remember when he used to look up to his daddy.
Bold move,
Choosing a hero
Who wasn’t outstanding in any way.
But good for him, yeah?
The pupil outwits the philosopher,
The apprentice cuts down the sensei,
And the really big fish
Drowns in its really little pond
To prove to the species that it could.

Actually, that’d be impressive.

But this guy,
He didn’t hog all the accomplishments --
Left plenty for guys like me
To feel proud of.
He could've
Won a trophy for atrophy,
And he could be well-known
For his uneventful circuses,
And he'd set up the tightrope, he'd
Set up the tent rope, he'd
Demonstrate entropy,
Fade from his housework.

The tasks,
The meaningful
Menial tasks, all exist to serve
The greater mundanity, he supposes.
It’s not for him,
not really,

not

for

him

at all.

He’s in the business of writing,
And he’s good enough to make a living off of it,
And thank God nothing he does is rote –
No sir,
He’s got classic originality,
Yes sir,
The same old innovation he’s always had.
See, I'm real glad I know this guy
Because he reminds me
That a world full of actuals
Is a world robbed of potentials.