Charles Darkly - Time Is A Harsh Mistress

When I look at my life I see myself standing on a bridge suspended in the sky
The moon, the stars, and a clock tower ticking down are the only other things in view
If I look down I can see myself unraveling into luminous threads
like spiderwebs
when I pull at those pieces I see everything I've done
and everything I will do
The frayed pieces are connected to my
heart, mind, body, and soul
so it hurts when I pull on them
They are connected to the bridge as well so I cannot fully retrieve them
but because the other end is
my heart, mind, body, and soul
they never go away
The bridge connects to the clock
because time is what robs me
of being able to sit and carefully
reclaim or discard these strings
I cannot jump from the bridge
because truthfully no matter how much
I talk I don't want those strings to snap
Oftentimes the strings are out of order
they don't attach to the bridge in a linear fashion
I cry about things that have not happened yet
I feel intense joy for things long gone
I ache for lovers that have long forgotten about me
I mourn friends that have not yet died.
I cannot see the ends of the bridge, it is too dark
Only the string attached to the clock pulls me forward.
The end of that bridge haunts me
When I fall off of it
will any of those delicate and beautiful strands rip away
and come with me?

Charles Darkly

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/time-is-a-harsh-mistress/