If I Knew Then

[Tiger the Lion]

If I Knew Then...

I'd have been bull lubricious 
rather than china shop cautious 

I'd have clad my little cat feet 
in fourteen-hole Docs
and trucked in like a rhino

I'd have been the bad boy
sucking your tongue
just to recount it to the boys

I'd have ripped the stuffing 
from the Teddy Bear
and exposed myself honestly

Is Now really too late?

[Miley]

If I Knew Then...

I'd have been bull lubricious 
rather than china shop cautious  Funny opening, especially the first line, with its sonics.

I'd have clad my little cat feet  Again, a funny image and gets across the shyness of a cat
in fourteen-hole Docs  Took me a few reads and a google search to realize this meant doc martin boots (i think?)
and trucked in like a rhino bull/cat/rhino

I'd have been the bad boy
sucking your tongue
just to recount it to the boys Again, made me laugh

I'd have ripped the stuffing 
from the Teddy Bear Assuming the N is the teddy bear maybe this reads better replacing "the" w/ "this"? Not sure..
and exposed myself honestly

Is Now really too late? Idk I think I can do w/o this last line, I guess it adds a little ambiguity, either its not too late and its an optimistic ending, or it is too late :-( But for me it just reads flatter then the previous stanza, which could make a fine ending

This reads as a regret poem, as in, we only regret the chances we don't take/so don't play it safe. Its also seems to play more on the carnal side of love...

My first thought for the title was If I knew Then... that you were also into me. But it could be many things, like idk, if I knew Then how lonely i'd be now, or what its like to grow older, or that you would go for some other person, or that you were sick, or I would get sick.

I have had this feeling many times lol

thanks for sharing

[Wjames]

If I Knew Then...

I'd have been bull lubricious 
rather than china shop cautious The 'bull in the china shop' doesn't really work for me, I don't think you've changed the idiom enough to make it interesting, although I like the word lubricious. I think the meaning here is good with the rest of the poem, basically 'I wouldn't worry about consequences' - I think you could say it better though.

I'd have clad my little cat feet 
in fourteen-hole Docs
and trucked in like a rhino 

I'd have been the bad boy
sucking your tongue
just to recount it to the boys 

I'd have ripped the stuffing 
from the Teddy Bear
and exposed myself honestly 

Is Now really too late?

Hey Tiger, I like this poem, I just think the beginning would be better with something more unique than the idiom. 

To me the poem is not about regret - 'Now' is tomorrows 'Then', and it isn't too late. It's more of a call to action.

[Tiger the Lion]

Thanks for the read and observations, guys. 

@Miley. I am rethinking that last line. Too often I try to get one last word in when I should stay mum. 

@WJ. Ya, that first strophe needs reworking away from the idiom. It's funny because I didn't really have that cliche in mind at the time. "Bull" was always part of line 1 but "china shop" found its way in by a complete brain fart. The China shop has to go - thx for pointing it out.

Paul

[Tiger the Lion]

I'm just playing around and you'll see there's nothing else on my channel, but this dude is freaking me out. 

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d5hSzURW48]

[Mark A Becker]

Well hello Paul-
Some comments, below:

If I Knew Then...

I'd have been bull lubricious 
rather than china shop cautious  The sound of these lines is fantastic. This opening works for me.

I'd have clad my little cat feet  This entire stanza falls flat (for me, at least)
in fourteen-hole Docs
and trucked in like a rhino

I'd have been the bad boy This comes off as decidedly 'teenage' to me, indicating an encounter from long ago. That's because I know yer not a kid anymore.
sucking your tongue
just to recount it to the boys

I'd have ripped the stuffing 
from the Teddy Bear
and exposed myself honestly Interestingly lewd turn here, and it works.

Is Now really too late? Don't know about the capital 'N'. But yeah, it's probably way past too late, so why even ask?

Good to read you again, Paul,
Mark