I Am About To Go Into Reverse Gear On This Wake Poem by Sarah Mkhonza

I always dreaded using the reverse gear
For technophobes are born not created.
I sit now comfortable watching the years
Go and want to go into reverse gear in
The way I count both time and experience.
When I was young I wanted to fast forward
And drive the car at four, for those were
The only gears available in it. Now I drive
At gear number five and cruise, but what!
I have seen that I am rushing to where I
Should not. I should reverse and go back
For when I get to nineteen, I will look
Around and see how many people drove faster
Than me for if they are still alive, they
Surely did. The ones who drove the slowest
Had to remove their cars from the fast lane
For this thing called life is scandalous.

You buy your vehicle brand new as a TESLA
And end up with a heap of scrap that has
No name. I want out of this game botox
Or no botox. It is a game that dogs are
So clever about that they never try to
Drive on the fast lane. They just run
As fast as an event allows and then slow
Down. They even know how to breathe in
And out visibly so why should I not do
Better than the canines. Give me a break
Or I will slam down the breaks and we
Will all nod that what I am saying is
The truth for you chose a driver straight
Out of driving school.