The Diving Boards Poem by Bryan Taplits

The Present can never live up to the Past-
I say this because the Present is a gift
newly unwrapped,
While the Past is a toy that's freely given-
But also a gift that already has passed.

A ten year old boys stands on the diving board
A frisson of fear to his soul,
Prepared for the leap he must make-
To show his friends that he's fearless
And that he's still and always will be bold.
He jumps on the board,
He springs towards his rep
His friends all gasp as he leaps towards his fate,
Whether successful or not, the upshot of this plot,
Is that he tried-and on his fate he now waits.

But now he's eighty years older-
And to that diving board he climbs once again-
Silently he weeps at his Future sleep,
His toys and sins are now long passed-
and his Past soon no longer will last-
As once again he prepares for his leap.