I swear I was just in my twenties
and now here I am,
looking at New Balance sneakers.
I remember the early months of the pandemic
like it was yesterday—
except it wasn’t yesterday,
it was six years ago
the 2020s are more than halfway done
the century already a quarter gone
my baby isn't a baby anymore
I’m not young
albums and movies I remember arriving
are now anniversaries
athletes I watched get drafted
are retiring
Fugit irreparabile tempus,
time flies, irretrievable
whole blocks of my life pass like that
and I barely notice while they’re happening—
administrations
winter to summer olympics
births, graduations, weddings, funerals
it’s all moving
and it’s only moving one way
I have to pay attention!