Together amid greenery and blossoms
they stand shoulder to shoulder, narrow eyed
and fixated upon bursts of golden daylily.

More than spring mingles in the mist
more than heat flows between them
mystery envelops them

There was the first time she held a clock
a miniature spring operated swiss piece
forbidden, still she opened the back

Movement, synchronized with sound, churned
tick, tick, tock, tock, steady clicks
worked the hands notch after notch

Would she let what was between them
work without her fingers, incited by catlike curiosity,
prying open the back of him

Stare at his insides, his tick, tick, tock, tock
until she sees him as a machine
turning until the spring unwinds?

The red circled thing
Owned the hands of time
It stopped and ogled at me
Our eyes met, and he snubbed.

He is vital to me
That I can’t live
Without even looking at him
The space he knows,
And I was left dumbfounded how he knows.

He owned the twelve sections
Clinched it with glass,
I thought he’s atypical
For his hands were not two but three
Now, I’m baffled of his identity.

He was quiet for days
But I needed him somehow
I wish to own him ceaselessly
But he’s running to fast.

Even if he’s staggered
He’s still making his shift
Working for others
Wouldn’t stop at any moment.

Farewell my friend,
I disgust it, gazing at you
My calendar was so rigid, so tight
Then you left me at night
Adieu, owner of time!

(2/21/14 @xirlleelang)

There is never any urgency
until we notice the clock.

“My sole goal in life is to keep racing
down the interstate without a clock
so I can keep going until people forget who I am.”
In my head I knew I was wrong
hypocritical, insane, illogical, but above all I was still
humane!
This, yes, this sole fact is what keeps me
separated from you
draw a straight line down the road we lived on
the squares and the circles.

You, with your fancy plaque and NHS bumper sticker
With the family of four and no reason to feel failure
With your perfect scores and magnificent vernacular
Who let you have it so easy?!

Me, with my Jimi Hendrix poster
family of who knows how many
and the chance to earn my GED in a few years
Why was it me?!

You met your wife in the 10th grade
You gave her a promise ring and everything
Even took her with you on spring break
Who said you didn't have to try?!

I was placed in the wards that year
they said it was insanity
I thought I was just thinking ahead
Why can’t they understand?!

BUT THEY ALWAYS UNDERSTAND YOU!

You, your Shakespeare perfect jargon
Mr. Right, Perfect, next coming of Beethoven
You were made to please everyone and become important!

And that’s what separates us.
Even though it’s the same street that raised us
I bought the Harley and your parents got you the Chevy.
And I recall the one time I was flying down the interstate
And caught up to you as you were going nothing higher than 70.
I stared at you and you kept your eyes on the road.
I don’t blame you, I knew that you just wanted to see my bomber jacket
I have a skull on fire on the back of it
So I gave you a great view
hope you enjoyed it.

Tick tock.
The shock of glancing at the clock
realizing 10 years have come and gone
without adding so much as one lyric to your song.

It’s not as if you haven’t tried,
Haven’t mulled over thousands of words to scribe
Haven’t heard the melody, so soft and so sweet,
Driven towards insanity as it infinitely repeats.

How does one materialize the immaterial?
****** the spectre from the world of ethereal?
Add substance to air without choking to death,
and learn to take a different kind of breath?

Perhaps you need a second hard slap,
waking you, once more, from your aqueous nap.
If only you could emerge from this dark
free as a bird, with the voice of a Lark.

The creation of an emanation of the purest vibration
is all you would need for your divine transformation.
So what is preventing these sacred sound waves,
and forcing you down into this deep, dark cave?

There is a way out
or haven’t you heard?
Just open your mouth
and speak one, true word.

As long as it bounces around in your head,
hidden, secret, and not to be read,
you’ll forever be waiting for your time to come,
the day you’ll break free and bask in the sun.

Take a deep breath and walk up to the ledge
Place your back to the wind and repeat this pledge:

"I am a true artist, right now and right here
I give up my doubt and release all my fear.

With this I am free, I am boundless, and great
I have what it takes to express and create.

And when I sing true, aligned with my heart,
nothing can stop me from playing my part.

For I have a role, and it’s perfectly unique,
I harness my strength and empower the weak.

I give all that I am with joy and with ease
And surrender myself to life’s gentle breeze.

I am ready to jump, to leap into the air,
confront the unknown, and love and to share.

I pledge my allegiance to all that’s inside
to give it a voice and never to hide.

Now all that’s left is for me to say this:
I am a true artist, I will follow my bliss!"

Turn around, inhale, and reach your arms up tall.
Step forward and exhale as you begin to fall.

You’re free as a bird now, ready to fly,
ready to sing, and soar through the sky.
Free from the burden of stagnant “what-ifs”
Free to spread out all your wonderful gifts.

You’ll no longer feel that sharp, stagnant, shock
Because you’re finally free from that sound:

Tick Tock.

-BPW
5/12/2014

how fast time goes by
when you wish it away. time
please come back to me