Yesterday when I did it
It seemed the smart thing to do
But today on reflection
Forces me to change my view.
Today is a bird’s eye view
Of what transpired yesterday,
Hind sight is twenty-twenty vision
I’ve heard wise people say.
The ability to step outside oneself
And look in at one’s situation
Is far easier said than done
For any generation.
For the young as well as the old
All have fallen short of this
And in spite of the hard lessons
There’s still a mighty long list.
For we are prone to repeat
Our disappointing yesterdays
Just like history repeats itself
In so many diverse ways.
And the lament is often the same
“If only I had known…”
The anguished cry of many a heart,
In this I am not alone.
Today’s bird’s eye view of yesterday
Still falls agonizingly short
Such that I am unable to go back
And my ill behavior forever abort.
That is why yesterday when I did it
It had seemed a smart thing to do
But today I am feeling stupid
And you’d feel stupid too.
Stewart Russell © April 6, 2021
