The Power of Now

My grasp weakens again on the merciless rope 

that the crowd ahead of me is tethered to

Plodding to the incessant beat of time that deafens my sensitive ears.

We stare intently into the void of tomorrow

All the while draped in the shadowed veil of our past

Blinded to the unfolding of now, lost in its momentary embrace

I attempt to purge myself from the mechanical rhythm that I hear

Grounding myself in the spotlight of reality

But the futility of my attempts is plain against the power of the sound.

In a breath, the fleeting thought has passed 

And the cunning rope is lassoed back around me

Returning to my part in the ephemeral show that engulfs me

Ignoring the tautness of the rope’s embrace

I continue to move along with the crowd,

dragging me faster than my feet can follow