Took a fifty dollar bill
Wedged it in between the hands of the stolid mahogany grandfather clock
Watched as the fingers came to a complete stop
Cheered as I realized the terrible ticking sound had been silenced
Breathed for now the ubiquitous anxiety had finally let up
Remembered the days when the terrible ticking had made
The stop and go traffic on the highway unbearable
And the pile of questions to be answered- all with deadlines- intolerable
And the goofy little girl who knew and cared about nothing
Watching her pick her chin up a little higher each day
Until her nose was in the clouds
And her fingers ran through her hair
And her head preoccupied with not-so-little boys-
Terrifying

Pictured the cars
Frozen immovable in their tracks
Pictured the deadlines
They’d never come
Pictured the girl
Still blinded innocent
Because grandfather clock didn’t grind his teeth
Didn’t tap his fingers
Didn’t terrorize me with his terrible ticking
Anymore

Then
Cried
As it hit me that even though grandfather’s ticking ceased
Time hadn’t