In Just 10 Minutes

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.