A burglar can get in
and out of a home
time enough for
another caper next door
while in the other room
a mother can finish aqua-netting her hair
and a father puts on a record
to let life trickle away
waiting on a call from his mistress.
In just 10 minutes
a child can be taken,
kidnapped from a park
in the middle of a hot July day
by a stranger masquerading
around as an ice cream man
while over by the jungle gym
rocks can come pelting down from the
hands of murderers filled with hatred
directed at a little girl all for wearing
a star around her neck.
blood oozing onto the sidewalk
while two lovers hold hands
50 feet away
without a care in the world.
In just 10 minutes, man can split the atom,
invent electricity, discover where we came from,
and know that we’re not alone
only to keep it a secret
for future generations
with inevitable suffering.
A bright baby blue sky can open
welcoming
a fresh rain storm
washing away all the bad, emptying the
gutters, the bad smells, and the misfortunes,
down the wells and spouts
long enough
for all the contempt and divison
to be erased, reset
if only for just 10 minutes
there’s a chance for everything to be fine again,
to have the clock turned back
and save the worry
for another day.
A chance to start over,
a first kiss worthwhile, a child created
with enough courage
to ask someone out
on a date
a bouquet of red, white, and pink roses
can satisfy,
collect a sniff
from the most beautiful girl in school,
winning her gaze and affection
if only for just 10 minutes
she sees you differently;
a winner, undaunted, shooting for
the stars.