Time Slows Down

I was thinking about 
how fast time goes, 
this day, 
a life. 


Feels like just last night that Mom had me and my brothers in the tub, red plastic soldier's bayonet poking into my chubby thigh. Dog sitting on the bath mat watching us. My mother's hand running over my wet hair.


Time.


Mom's been gone ten years.
Aunt Nip eight.
Dad will be 85 on the Fifth of July. 
Jesse's coming up on thirty.


What?


It was just yesterday when Mrs. Stewart, my second grade teacher, made home-made butter with our class. We spread it on saltine crackers. 


My mouth waters just thinking about it.


Tonight Claire and I  played a funny game involving Disney movies where we give each other a clue and hit the timer ~


tick tock tick tock tick tock


and you need to answer before the clock runs out. 


I give easy clues, Bear with a honey pot...


During the game I kept thinking, 


It's late and I still need to blog, 


when Claire said, "I wrote a poem, Mom."


I said, "Will you read it?"


Time


You can't see it
You can't feel it
But it's there
It will always be there
Time makes it hard
to stop and stare
Time makes it hard 
to even care.
Time goes fast, like
the human mind.
But if you try time
slows down. 
You close your eyes, 
hear every sound
and breathe.


by Claire Collins