SECONDS UNTIL WE DIE

This is how the clock ticks

tick, tock, tick

seconds and minutes and the mandatory distance

days of the week that I must endure

counting out loud, hour by hour

until I can see you again.

It never mattered when I was younger

all this waiting

pretending things matter

and time,

as a blank, invisible matter that mocks me

for the fact that you’re not here.

But since I’ve seen the better part of this lifetime

(and you’re not getting any younger)

I couldn’t help but wonder

How many more seconds until we die

and

why are we not together

right now?