Envy the Dutiful
with a nod to Dana Gioia
Envy the dutiful,
the dogs, the wallflowers,
the prom non-attendees
home at all hours.
Envy the waterboys,
the dweebs and the techies,
the Poindexters born
predestined for wedgies.
The nerds and nerdettes,
the gawky, the scrubs
liked as “just friends,”
the terminal schlubs.
Envy the bookworms,
unhip, ungainly,
the late-blooming Venus
now sought insanely.
Envy the duds
who’ve bided their time.
Envy the day
their stock starts to climb.
—J.D. Smith