Numbers

Numbers

by Maureen Ucles

Eighteen 

more days

Eighteen 

more weeks

Eighteen weeks 

and two days

Or was it eighteen minutes?

Eighteen hours?

in a twenty-four hour day

Eighteen seconds?

Eighteen

Eighteen 

 the number

I contemplate

Might go irate

if I have to wait--

wait any longer

Eighteen minus two

Eighteen 'til were through

'til I am done

stick a fork in me

completely

Eighteen

Eighteen

Eighteen

Cannot 

Will not

No way

No how

Stop me

from closing

this door

this window

this cell

pad lock

want to 

block

any semblance

of you

not even

a hint

nor hue

will do

Enough said

We're 

Through

Eighteen hours

days

months

years

decades

millenniums

eternity

done

Eighteen weeks

two days

'til

I run

skip

slip

into

oblivion

catatonic state

never to be

heard

seen

again

by

you

Eighteen

Eighteen

Just eighteen

sound the horn

pull the alarm

two if by night

one if by me

You ain't got

what it takes

you lost me

 clear as day

in the night

at...

never had me

no completion

just an utter

act of deletion

done

Eighteen

Seventeen

Sixteen

Fourteen

and so on

can't wait

clear the way

no more hurt

no more tears

just blue skies

pristine

beaches

without you

and your

disfigured ways

grotesque character

breaking away

free

I am

one last word

gotta say

here it comes

Eighteen