Time Escapes Me

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.

...

Author's note: I currently taking a Vocal Media creator's break, and only submitting oldies to relevant challenges.