Their lives did not turn out
Like they planned.
L was successful
But unhappy.
By most measures
S had excelled
But her success made her afraid.
Nearly everyone thought
G was a colossal failure
Except for G.
According to
Conventional wisdom
Things had deteriorated
Relative
To the past.
Neither L S or G
Could remember
How the past had been.
G thought it had been worse.
He swam against the tide
Like always.
S was nostalgic.
She worshiped the past
And feared the future.
L had only regret
As he looked back
At a long list
Of
Missed opportunities.
Then there was J,
A total basket case,
Who plugged along
Without really thinking.