I wrote this poem in a way that allowed the clock to be represented by “him” and the girl as “her.” I wanted to personify the clock in order to magnify the power and control of time. Although time's participation in one's life is inevitable, upon writing this excerpt, I have realized my desire to focus on lessening its overwhelming effect on how I live my life.

The Thing She Carries

She carries a clock with her everywhere she goes.

She responds to his ticks as if they were heartbeats.

She is stuck, encompassed in the constant reminder of limits and expectations.

She works to the tick of the clock.

tick tick tick and so on, till the pen reaches the end of the paper.

She doesn’t stop because she can’t.

She can’t because she doesn’t know how.

Maybe she’s afraid because her life is built upon structure.

Without structure and balance she would be lost.

She convinces herself that the clock on her back is her friend, that he is trustworthy.

She doesn’t think like the birds do when she rushes to show up to work on time.

She doesn’t pause like they do to let things be.

Instead, she plunges herself into an ongoing cycle of work and exhaustion.

She tries to slow down, but there is so much to do.

She cannot stop because if she does, her heart will stop beating.

Tick tick tick.

She is pushed to the brink of insanity.

She contemplates how to retract herself from this vicious cycle, but she can’t.

She carries too many responsibilities to just give up now.

Responsibilities she has put upon herself.

She wants to do it all because she likes the extra weight because it makes her stronger.

She is exhausted and paralyzed with fear.

The clock is no longer on her back but on her head.

He consumes her thoughts, her dreams, her life.

Every time she is close to forgetting,

She hears yet another tick coming from the back of her ear,

Reminding her she cannot give up because she is worth something.

She is tired of running, but she keeps on going

Because she convinces herself that he is right,

That she is worth something.

She runs as her energy starts to fade.

The fear that her heart will stop beating before she reaches that finish line

Nags at the tips of her feet.

She runs and runs till her legs give out beneath her.

She collapses from the weight,

Now spread out,

Pushing down on every inch of her body.

Tick tick tick.

He laughs at her as he holds on tight,

refusing to let her go.