36 seconds

what is time?

passing days

candles on a cake

sand in an hourglass

hands on a clock

what’s remembered and what’s forgotten

birth

death

failure and success

the most desired gift

our greatest enemy

time is spent like pennies

it only matters once it’s added up

we’ve created a thousand ways to track it

just to make ourselves feel like we are

in

control

but who are we fooling

time will always stray from the paths we make for it

we think we can manipulate it

if only we

exercise more

sleep more

eat better

don’t smoke

don’t drink

don’t stress

we can do everything but tame time

time churns through seconds

shuffles through lives

an unrestrained beast

we shy away from its claws

why do we only get so much

there’s not enough

time is each breath you take

past

present

future

sweet air and precious seconds.

By Sian Willey