Three Rocks

At age ten he loved
to go to the banks
of the creek in the woods
and look for rocks.
He would bring home
the most interesting ones,
rinse them off
and display them on his
bedroom shelves.
His parents were certain
that he was an aspiring geologist.

At age sixteen

he only grudgingly went to school

but his real passion

was his guitar.

He would play along

with his records,

learning every song he could,

and knew that someday

he would be a rock star.

At age seventy-two

he thinks back to the days

of collecting rocks

and wanting to be a rock star

as he rocks

and rocks

and rocks
his life away

in his rocking chair. - Jeff Barnes