lack of petals, an abundance of thorns

time - peace

the weeks are flying
too quickly,

i'm not certain
if it is just me

watching my existence
skip forward

like someone controls
a remote

and is flicking through
the episodes.

my heart rate is constantly
above a hundred
beats per minute

i don't think it will
slow down

no matter how much
i  wish it.

where are my twenties
speeding off to?

it seems like everyone
has it thought through.

while another year has
slipped past,

pulled the rug,

and i'm suddenly winded
staring at pictures

of people preparing
for new years.

i swear it was valentine's
just last tuesday.

have i somehow fallen
into the persistence of memory,

is salvador dali mocking me?

it's quarter past anxiety
the hands are noiselessly ticking

but i can feel them moving
under my skin:

a permanent wristwatch
that makes my insides
tick tock tick tock.

the years are catching up,
i'm not prepared for this race.

my shoes were tied together
at the start line

there is no way i can
keep pace.

i keep stumbling
and tripping
on the obstacles,

i've lost count
of the bruises.