Time escapes me
my arrival
breath adjuster
doesn't much matter
I haven’t enough hours
set me free
locked clock spares
oh, the plans we muster
as daylight sours
workday short cuts
sign me up
just sit for a minute
no—
gotta be in it to win it
account for every minute
I throw my hands up
had enough
except I —
tooth and nail it
Man, I’m tough
much to do
places to go
people to see
everyone counts on me
linear lines
twenty-four hour-a-day confines
hand to the grind
not —
losing my mind
slow it down
forget about it
flip the script
my coat’s steady zip-unzip
my pursed paused lips
I’m ill-equipped
because
emotions might shatter
however
I break out the batter
better start mixing
the all-problem solver elixir
for everyone else
ignoring myself
what about me
nevermind the nonsense
or
think about rest
must scrub through a to-do list
resisting
an inner voice request
the sideline sitter smells serendipity
Sorry, not for me
roses can wait
I am late
timed tasks, no asking
obligations, duties
deadline homerun, multi-tasking
and —
it’s slipping, slipping
time is slipping into the future
forehead sweating, dripping
feels like torture
I can’t deny
wanna run away
five o'clock hour; I can’t fly
dependable me
always pleasing
tick tock clock teasing
remove the wall clock batteries
time doesn’t stop
but
time machine hop
feels like a dream
surreal appeal
digression confession
fast forward this mess
to a day completed
lest the feels — depleted
hey
I do my best, I truly attest
although
a do-do-do-do do-over
rewound to dawn
replay the tape
I will
given time
...
Now read the poem backward. This is an inverse-style poem. Reading slowly in reverse will reveal a different meaning.
* originally published on Medium 2/22/2024 in the publication Imogene's Notebook
About the Creator
Marilyn Glover
Poet, writer, & editor, writing to uplift humanity. A Spiritual person who practices Reiki and finds inspiration in nature.
Mother of four, grandmother of two, British American dual citizen living in the States
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Comments (3)
Thank you, Marilyn for sharing this with me for the book. So happy to have it in the mix! Will add my list accordingly. Look out for the newest update. As time got away from me (funny timing that comment coming when reading this) and dropped the ball, but picked it up again! Loved this and it felt so different - even in pacing - reversed. Well done.
You blew my mind with this poem! You wrote such a long poem and made it work so well in reverse! So well done!
This really cleverly done, I love the different feel to the pacing as well! Great poem!