I Stumbled Upon the Secret of Time Travel

yesterday, while I was watching Superman
on HBO. I discovered that
when I squinted my eyes
and tilted my head just a little bit to the left,
the image becomes swept in
an outward gradient
blurring the edges.

Then suddenly I was watching
Superman on another
television screen,
but this time –

I could see
     little white ants
     scurrying onscreen
I could hear
     the faint grinding noise
     of magnetic tape against chrome head
I could smell
     the sickeningly sweet
     metallic aroma of the Betamax
I could taste
     the little Horlick chocolate drop
     slowly melting in my mouth
And I could feel
     the strange tingling
     sensation in my groin
     the first time I saw Superman
     lock lips with Lois Lane.


*May 6, 2005.
**The inspiration for this was actually the movie Coming to America, but I just changed the film to something 80s that more people can relate to.