time

every second I think

this is the oldest I have ever been

this is the youngest I will ever be again

this second is gone                      this one too

faster faster faster

b        r           e         a        t         h         e

take it slower all the garish posters smeared with

middle-school grime scream at us

take it one day at a time but how can we

when every second is gone faster than it can come

properly

when the redwhiteandblue crushing realization hits

that

the world might not last long enough

for my children to see the seconds

slip away.

the leaves are falling and i taste february in the wind.

time is running out.