99poems/Jan7th

All December I had to hurry
faster than I could go,
do more than I could do.
Today is January 13th, but
it feels like the 7th to me.
New Year’s Day I claimed to be
on time this year,
but I am losing ground each day.
At this rate I will never
make it to next year.
I will be back in last year by then.
And that was a very tiring year.

I look forward to getting back
to when my waist was small.
But question if it’s worth it?
Men are allowed the luxury
of aging gradually,
instead of the leaps and bounds
that mark a woman’s life,
so that the psyche has to hurry
to catch up with the flesh.

I am tired from it –
if time is movement of thought
this would explain why
I am not thinking.
Go ahead on,
as my Daddy used to say,
and have the 13th
if you choose to.
I will have the 7th today,
and allow it to linger.
I will catch up to you –
perhaps in spring.

1/13/98