chances

my father
who actually
won the lottery
and kept it
hidden from us
for as long
as possible,
has spent none
of it. not a
single one of
his children has
had a taste of
his new found
riches. and it's
fine. i asked
him what he was
going to do
with this money
and he said
that he would pay
off his car, fix
the washing machine
which squeaked and
rattled during
the spin cycle,
he said he might
buy one of those new
flat screen tv's.
and that's it.
he has no need
or desire to travel,
there is nothing
shiny out there
that he needs to
possess. there is
no new fashion
trend he needs
to set. he'll just
buy more tickets,
more chances, but
none of it will
cancel out or ease
the distance between
him and the world,
his children, and
at eighty-two,
his life of regret.