A Mistake

Five days

Two hours

Ten minutes

Thirty Seconds

Thirty seconds to remember

All the promises you made

All the things you vowed not to do

One second

One second and your feet are on the ground

Pacing, you’re pacing

Pacing like the time you didn’t know if you should open the door

And let yourself evaporate with the bright lights

Floating in the smoky air

Pacing like that time you wanted your feet to reach the ground

Begging them to lead you far from the lights

Crying because they couldn’t

One second

And you’re pacing

One second and your feet are on the ground

Fifteen seconds

Fifteen seconds and your head is spinning

Dizzy, you’re dizzy

Dizzy like that place when all you saw were colors

And the people next to you melded together 

Forming a rapid cycle of color

Dizzy like the time you didn’t know your name anymore

And the man’s sweaty hands floated around you

Blurred together like yellow clouds of malice 

Dizzy because they wouldn’t stop 

Fifteen seconds

And you’re dizzy

Fifteen seconds and your head is spinning

Twenty seconds

Twenty seconds and your hand is reaching out

Grasping, your hand is grasping

Grasping the shame and the urge and the stupidity

Grasping like the time his hand led yours

And the clasp closed in on you

Grasping like the time you grasped the car door

And waited for the sign to glare red 

Grasping because the green blinded your eyes

Twenty seconds

And you’re grasping

Twenty seconds and your hand is reaching out

Thirty-one seconds

Thirty-one seconds and your feet walk away and your bag is heavier

Scared, you’re scared

Scared like the time he left you on the road in the dark

And you rode the bus ‘till your conscience lightened

Waiting for it to be tainted again

Scared like the time your mom was hurting

And her tears didn’t wash away your blood

Scared because nothing washed away her pain

Thirty-one seconds

And you’re scared

Thirty-one seconds and your feet walk away and your bag is heavier

Thirty seconds and you forgot

All the promises you made

All the things you vowed not to do

Thirty Seconds

Ten minutes

Two hours

Five days

Reviews

[brian]

I like the writing-scheme and the overall style/format of this poem; it really creates a sense of being frenetic and this sort of 'organized chaos'. Very neat..I could learn a lot about the different poetry styles from reading your poetry. Thank you for sharing!

[Karmee]

hmm! thought provoking write, enjoyed your words

[Schatzi]

Hello Sarah Flynn,

I like your concept here. It reminds me of something I have read before but for the life of me I cannot recall what it was or who wrote it . . . That's going to tickle the back of my brain until I can think of it now. :)

It is a good topic and well worded. I particularly like how the beginning is the end and therefore the end is the beginning, strongly hinting that time is constantly moving in that endless loop driving our days forward, despite our minds wishing to relive past moments that remain somehow frozen in our memories forever. It was a very poetic way to write about this topic. Nicely done!

Thank you for sharing!

Kind regards,

Schatzi

[JMaster1]

wonderful , nothing less , I love it