Better Late Than Never

“Better late than never,”
My mother used to say,
When I would forever drag around
Getting dressed to face the day.

“Better late than never”
She’d say with a small smile,
When I would finally finish
Chores I’d worked at for a while.

“Better late than never,”
I’d hear as I walked in
When after school I’d dawdled
And came in late again.

I often sat and pondered
If time would cease to be
If never came before I did,
What would happen to me?

“Better late than never?”
I questioned if she knew
If “never” ever got there first,
What then would I do?

She laughed at my perplexion
Until she could explain
That although I moved slowly
I got there all the same.

Now my life’s a schedule
I’ve reminders ‘round the clock
I’m never late for anything
Even meetings that are ad hoc.

“Better late than never,”
Is not part of my life,
Unlike those days of long ago
My days are filled with strife.