READY…STEADY…

by Jeffrey Park

Go
the flag drops and
the clock begins the count
acceleration
train, bullet, rocket, transonic
clock running
supersonic, ultrasonic, relativistic
clock running
superluminal, faster than
the speed of thought, fear, regret
outpacing the running clock
outrunning time itself
looking at time from the inside out
time as an oyster’s midnight pearl
a dark smooth surface
curving away into never
a soft voice
a brush of lips
a fractured law of physics
fluttering about
in the terrible wind of your
flight.