A Self-Made Man Today by Donal Mahoney

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A Self-Made Man Today

I flew out to see
a high school friend.
from many years ago.
He was poor back then
and I was better off.
A matter of parents
and what they did.

His mother was a maid
and his father a drunk.
He flunked out of school
and joined the Army
then built a business
and became a millionaire.

He picked me up
in a black Mercedes
and as we drove off
we saw a young couple
on the side of the road
holding a sign,
“Will Work for Food.”
A not uncommon
sign these days.

My friend told me
they’re throwaway people
and America must find
a way to throw them away.
It was a short reunion.
My wife was sick, I said.
I flew home the next day.
My old friend, poor in youth,
is a self-made man today.

Donal Mahony

Donal Mahoney, nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prizes, Donal Mahoney has had poetry and fiction published in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of his work can be found by clicking here… 

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