by Claire Scott

I think Time should slow down to match my faltering steps
picking my way along a sidewalk full of cracks
guiding my reluctant walker on tennis ball feet
stockings spilling over my swollen ankles
buttons missing from my winter coat

Time should honor age like a well-trained scout
slowing his pace to ferry an old lady across the street
keeping her out of the way of suburban moms in SUVs
speeding to pick up their darlings at school
after a few shots of gin

but Time breezes by racing to catch up with Type A’s
multitasking at their desks since six
Time sporting Nike shorts and Asics shoes
rushes by, almost knocks me down
certainly subtracts a few months from my shrinking supply

tomorrow I will text Chronos in his tick tocking heaven
beg him to use his three heads to straighten this out
plead to allow us earthlings to control our speed
adolescents on fast forward, impatient to begin
us oldsters wanting Time to creep in a petty pace

that’s what I think anyway