9:00:04
When the hour is
late, I find myself thinking
of dangerous things.
9:00:05
I know the hour
isn’t exactly late—but
this is late for me.
9:00:07
What if there is something
more to this catch in my
throat? What if it’s bad?
9:00:08
What if those allergies
are not just allergies?
What if it is worse?
9:00:09
What if the doctors
aren’t able to cure my
brother? What if he dies?
9:00:10
What if something happens
to our car? How will we
run all the errands?
9:00:11
How will we work? How
will we recover from a
setback like that one?
9:00:12
What if I never
publish another book? What
if I can’t keep up?
9:00:13
What if one of my
children is lost, hurt, damaged,
bullied, broken, killed?
9:00:14
It only takes a
few seconds to run through all
the scenarios.
9:02:57
Anxiety runs
cold, hot, numb, excruciating—
and always there.
9:03:36
I turn my thoughts to
happier things; it’s like turning
a ship around.
9:03:59
I think about love—
the beauty of loving
another and the world.
These are excerpts from The Book of Uncommon Hours, a book of haiku poetry. For more of Rachel’s poems, visit her Reader Library page, where you can get a few volumes for free.
(Photo by Martin Castro on Unsplash)
