Sheila's Dribs 'n Drabs

Time A moment A minute An hour A longing for Waiting for Hoping for Power To stop time Rock time Mock time Long time Strong time Shrinking time Sinking time Second time A whisper A whimper A gasp Eternity Grasped In the push In the pause In the laws’ Life-time

Young, full of energy, time led him on; Bright, full of happiness, yesterday’s son Lovingly married, children were born; Working and playing, became worry-worn Wise, full of promise, advice for his son Problems devouring the future begun; Dad, will you calm down, have fun I love you Said the son.

In the afternoon We’ll phone in the evening And then we’ll say goodnight. Don’t call between 8 and 10 she says So we’ll wait till 2. Is it summer-time? Gray clouds like winter outside But the flowers think it’s spring. Can’t fix the hours. Just phone And love’s the thing.

One moment was all it took, and the future was lost. She crossed the road, smiling at him, then the truck tossed her body away. One moment; he spent the rest of his years on research. The history of memories, déjà vu, dreams, unknown particles, and mothers who seem to know in advance when their children are going to cry. (She, of course, would never be a mother. The children she’d’ve bourn with him would never live or die.) One moment, and he finally got it right, went back and stood by the road. “Don’t run Suzanne!” “I’m coming Tom.”