National Poetry Writing Month 2026, day 22: Younger Self

Right after I pulled on my underwear

And before I pulled on my undershirt

A hand came out of my chest

And another out of my back

..

And when their arms were out past the elbows

The hands grabbed my head and pushed away

And out of me came the me of 1970,

Clad in hip-hugging bell-bottoms

And a “Mr. Muscle” form-fitting T-Shirt

And rubber-soled sandals.

..

The popped-out fifteen-year-old looked at me

And yelled “AAAA!!!” in horrified surprise

“HOLY CRAP, Future Me, you are GROTESQUE!

You are so FAT! And your skin is like crepe paper!”

..

“I am 71 years old, Young Me.

I don’t like the way I look any more than you do.

But you look ridiculous yourself.

Lank, straight hair growing past your shoulders–ugh!

And LOOK at all that acne. You look diseased!”

..

He recoiled. I’d forgotten how self-conscious

And easily bruised he could be. Quickly I said, “Sorry,

Kid. On the plus side, you’re in great physical shape,

And you have your whole life ahead of you.

And that’s why I wished upon a star

That I could have a talk with you.”

..

“Aha,” said the sullen punk.

He stared at me keenly.

“Let me guess.

..

“You’ve been brooding

About all the mistakes you’ve made,

All the head-shakingly stupid choices,

And you want to do a do-over.

You want to tell me not to do those stupid things

And you want to tell me HOW

To not do those stupid things.

..

“Well, forget it. I already know.

Just a few minutes ago, when I co-occupied

Your brain, I got the straight scoop.

Failures galore! What were you THINKING?!

..

“But you do not get a do-over, Old Man.

..

“First let me tell you something you’ve forgotten.

Regrets are nothing new to us. We started regretting

When we were five years old. And we ALWAYS

Tell ourself ‘Never again!’ and we RARELY obey.

..

“Second and foremost, I am not going back

To 1970. I am not FROM 1970. I am from here and now.

I will sink right back into you when we’re done.

I am memory, wished into clarity.

..

“Third and incidentally, suppose

You did get your wish and I did go back?

You, THIS you, would CEASE TO EXIST. Because

Everything you have ever done

..

“Is essential to your existence.

Do you REALLY want your daughter

Never to have been born?”

..

I shuddered, but before I could say “No way”

Young Me stepped back into my flesh,

But before he suffused he said, firmly,

“You still have time to make all

..

“Of your most important dreams

Come true. Build. Become.”

Then he melted back, and old wisdom told me

That that child IS father to the man.