{"id":1021,"date":"2026-08-23T21:42:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T20:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jimclarke.net\/?p=1021"},"modified":"2026-08-23T21:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T20:42:19","slug":"the-reset-button","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jimclarke.net\/index.php\/2026\/08\/23\/the-reset-button\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reset Button"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I finished another novel last week, the second this year. I have a non-fiction book on A Clockwork Orange <\/em>to complete editing before the month is over. In the brief interim between these tasks, a little poem of my own emerged, not for once a (mis)translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t personally know what to make of it really, except that it came very quickly and almost complete, requiring only the careful editing eye of a poet friend to identify the couple of lines which needed tweaking. So, I tweaked, and here we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make of it what you will. Normal service, such as it is, will be resumed in a bit.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Reset Button<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s an insult really, isn’t it, life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

on the easy setting, thrown about<\/p>\n\n\n\n

like privilege, a cut of envy. No,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

life’s not fair and never will be. Is it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

even possible to discern<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the wailing at the hated mirror or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

the late-night puking in the eyes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of the most-liked, the prettiest girl?

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Money doesn’t mean you don’t have<\/p>\n\n\n\n

problems. You just don’t have money<\/p>\n\n\n\n

problems. Instead you struggle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

with how others don’t have any and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

how you think they’d like yours. Or<\/p>\n\n\n\n

so I’m told through shiny embarrassed teeth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

by people who have never loaned me any.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every day, every single day, thousands<\/p>\n\n\n\n

of men cross forests and deserts, sailing in<\/p>\n\n\n\n

frail flotillas on oceans of desperate envy, to these<\/p>\n\n\n\n

promised lands. What is this odyssey of hope?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What quest for equity? What fight? What end?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll be equal when we’re dead and not before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I finished another novel last week, the second this year. I have a non-fiction book on A Clockwork Orange to complete editing before the month is over. In the brief interim between these tasks, a little poem of my own emerged, not for once a (mis)translation. I don’t personally know what to make of it … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Reset Button”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[563,127],"class_list":["post-1021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry","tag-poem","tag-poetry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t