For Just a Second

The earth stood still: frozen in time.

Everything stopped on a dime.

For just a second, busy streets,

stomping feet, rivers, clouds,

and people didn’t move.

Impervious to laws of the land,

sand inside the hourglass stopped

falling. Like statues, people stood

in place. Father time hit the pause

button and set the remote down.

With curious eyes, he stared

at the screen and to no surprise,

he noticed how tired everyone

looked. He saw the stress, pain,

and hurt painted on worn-out

faces. However, he would be

remiss if he didn’t notice

expressions of joy, happiness,

and bliss. For just a second,

the world stopped turning.

Silence filled the air and nothing

else mattered. Mother Earth

was flattered. He picked up

the remote and pressed play.

Like ambitious ants and busy

bees, everyone rushed to beat

the clock. With motion came

commotion. The moment of silence

lasted all but a second, yet it showed

that pausing or going slow

isn’t the end of the world.

He sat back and turned

the television off. He understood

why time can’t be stopped.