That night, the streets flooded in Mexico;
I was there, but because of my youth
I didn't really care
I was a bit obtuse
I had my own problems, you see
The oil on the street had risen up
And mixed in with the rain
And I thought it was a pretty glass
That had been magically transformed
From the unpaved ground beneath.
That dirty filthy ground that
Just moments before I had tried
Hard not to step into.

That day I had received
A brand new pair of shoes
And my first all - white pair of jeans.
You see, I was so excited
That night, I felt
Oh, so cool, so keen!
But my Uncle Nati held my upstretched hand
Tightly, as we walked along the sidewalk,
And I pressed into him, away from the street
He was not aware, but I was directing his stride
His pace, his feet
Imagine that, if you still can
A 4 year - old controlling a full grown man!
And he, so confident that it was he
Who all along was controlling me, Ha, Ha!

But all that, was before the rain had come
Before the streets became a swirling
Sheet of pretty greens; blues and purples swirling upon glass!
Now I would pull my uncle away from the safety of walls
I would control and direct him closer and closer
to that same street that just moments before I had shunned
And I Controlled him once again!
This time he must walk to the street
Not away from it!

I tugged and I tugged
Inching him closer and closer
To that pretty sheet of glass.
We got closer and closer
Until I could see
My own reflection on that swirling, mirrored glass
But I saw my reflection Looking back at me in shock!
As I took that first step onto the street
And sunk knee deep
Into an oily, swirling mess!

My new shoes and all-white jeans were ruined that day
And so were any illusions I might have had
That I had any sense of self-control
Much less control over any other!

My poor Uncle Nati also had a rude awakening
When he got me back home to my mother
Who angrily, screamed that a full grown man
Should be more mindful of children
Who don't know any better!
Little boys like me have to be watched constantly
And guarded from their natural inclination
To ruin, new pairs of shoes and all-white jeans!