Fame Overtook His Manners

Fame Overtook His Manners

He started out with little fame,
Just an ordinary man with an ordinary name,
He smiled at strangers, stopped to care,
And always had a moment to spare.

He’d say hello, he’d hold the door,
He’d thank the people who swept the floor,
He never thought himself above,
And seemed to understand the meaning of love.

Then slowly people knew his name,
And cameras followed him for fame,
The lights came on, the crowds appeared,
And suddenly his voice was heard.

At first he seemed exactly the same,
Still polite when people called his name,
But fame can change the way you see,
When everyone wants a piece of thee.

The little smile began to fade,
The time for others slowly disappeared,
He stopped saying please and thank you too,
As though the world now owed it all to you.

He walked past people he once knew,
As if they were invisible in his view,
The man who once had time to spare,
Now acted like nobody else was there.

Fame overtook his manners one day,
And took his gentle nature away,
He had the money, lights and name,
But lost the kindness before the fame.

People cheered when he appeared,
But the ones who knew him disappeared,
Because money might buy a golden chair,
But it can’t buy back those who cared.

He had the world looking his way,
But couldn’t remember yesterday,
When being kind was all he knew,
Before fame changed what he would do.

So if you ever rise that high,
And see your name across the sky,
Remember those who knew you then,
Before the fame changed you again.