2001/deadline

Whatever deadline
we set for ourselves,
I read,
will be the one
we meet.
A week.
A month.
It’s true,
but I want to
argue that in a
a week,
we’d have to do
a sloppier job.
It’s just more
hedging.
We’ve all known
since junior high,
that the thing
never gets done
until it’s down
to the wire.
The rest of the time
we are just pretending,
trying to look good
for the teacher,
to fool ourselves.

1/24/01