Headstart

PEAR

The greatest salve for leaden omens is the ticking of the clock.
Dread is not a disciple of motion.
Storms end, worries pass -

Or get rescheduled.

“One foot before the other” is a golden rule
In that ominous threats of doom
Approach for far longer than they last,

Giving us the benefit of notice
And a good head start
To move on to the next prevailing star
Of apprehension.

We have all been told to live in the present,
“Carpe diem!” Seize the day!

Yet still we let the tenses leave us homeless — -
The Past is always lost in space –
The continuum has neither arms nor legs
Though it breathes free upon a darkling plain.
The Future beckons only. Running headlong doesn’t bring it near
Or give us chance to touch its peach-like fuzz.

Only the present wears a healthy stubble,
Something we can run our fingers on –
Our legs and chins and underarms are sentient

While other moods and each declension –

(Save the Present — )

Whisper lightly in the recess of our hopes
Or fears
Or dreams.

Should you like something tangible?
I point you toward the cantaloupe I hold.
Whatever else we dream about is
Never ready to be picked,

Or it’s been freeze dried for all time.
The sweetness of the fruit is savored
Only in the moment. Take a bite.