If I could go back
I would tell a 14-year-old me
Everything he needs to know
About love and forgiveness
About family ties and healthy relationships
About the joys I misplaced
Lessons I wasn’t told
Regrets I could have avoided
I would tell him to take risks
And never let an opportunity pass him by

If God could only grant me one wish
I would go back to the past
And give lessons to the 14-year-old me
I could tell him –
“Hey! Moyo siophweka nmene ukuganizila”
Please make realistic goals
I wish I were you…
Yet you blindly wish you could grow
To become this complicated me
And fly that stupid imaginary airplane

If I could go back
Only 14 years back
And take a walk
On a sunny Sunday morning
I could meet that boy –
Jumping, limping, walking to church –
With his head held high
And his shirt tucked in
Lost in a world of his own
Singing hymns, praising God

If I could go back to the past
I could meet that 14-year-old boy
Walking ten feet tall
Head in the clouds
Feet not so firmly on the ground
But free from worry
Free from regret
All alone in a world of his own
Where all he cares about is going back home
To meet dear Mama

If I could go back and meet a younger me
I could tell him to:
Live free
Make no bad habits
Make only good choices

If only it was possible
To go back to the past
And have that clear-minded consciousness
Of that 14-year-old boy
I could mend the hearts I broke
Make the decisions I waited too long to make
Take chances I was too afraid to take
Destroy the root of my bad habits
And, maybe maybe then
I could be a happy 28-year-old

But then I realise it’s too late…

My son,
Don’t imagine a life without regrets
No perfect life exists
Even if I could go back
I may still miss that one thing
So, don’t be a crook who only learns from others’ mistakes
Without mistakes you will not grow
Teach others the lessons you learn from your past
The experiences made you
The past made you

My son,
Everything about you
Is a culmination of past experiences
Just don’t stay down when challenges knock you down
Reconcile with your past
Face reality by understanding that life is a beautiful struggle
Face the demons you created
And as you struggle
Know that God can mend a broken heart
So perhaps there is no need for regret