do you have the time?

i think you can tell a lot about a person

by the way they talk about time.

if time is something linear or cyclical.

if they talk about their life as though

it goes through seasons the way nature does

or if it is something ever growing,

always moving forward.

if they talk about failure as though

it is several steps back on their timeline

or simply a change of course.

if they describe the day according to

the clock or to the sky.

was it 5am or dawn?

8pm or twilight?

i love to notice whether they speak as though

the hours ahead are on opportunity

or if they are an order.

i love to wonder,

is time something that carries them

or something they are carrying?

i don’t really know what to do

with this knowledge.

i just like having it.

i just like the thought that i can tell

something

other than the time.