Bill Clinton, though you had a shot,
one glimpse of thong and you’ll betray
hopes of reviving Camelot.
How like your hero, JFK!
Sylvia, ditch your fiancé.
Your Heathcliff is a cold Don Juan
who’ll shred your life as hawks tear prey.
You'll know you’ve blown it once it's gone.
Oscar, you face the kind of plot
your wit can’t dazzle or allay.
Lincoln, you've won, yet now is not
the best of times to watch a play.
Coleridge, don't let your focus stray
while you're composing "Kubla Khan."
Pipe dreams and manic spells don't stay.
You'll know you’ve blown it once it's gone.
Marlowe, your fame is fever-hot:
that tavern bill's not worth a fray.
Abelard, an affair will blot
your name, and that's not all you'll pay.
Caesar, you covet total sway,
but once you cross the Rubicon,
the envious dogs will have their day.
You'll know you’ve blown it once it's gone.
Pericles, your whole résumé
is dust, except the Parthenon.
That war you start won't go your way.
You'll know you’ve blown it once it's gone.