the other day my son
was wishing for the rewind button
that would unhappen
the source of his unhappiness
i remember being fifteen
and praying in desperation
to a god i knew was not there
for that very button
that would make yesterday
into today so that
tomorrow would not
kill me
this was not like
the wish to fly
a wistful speculation
this was urgent and overwhelming
like a drowning man's
lunging for a scrap of free air
somehow i survived
having mostly learned
not to get myself
in situations that
will need rewinding
these days
i still wish
for the magic button though
not to erase mistakes
made yesterday
but to plan a tomorrow
spectacular and wrong
followed by a finger flick
and i emerge as
mild mannered me
who would never do
something like that.