Frozen Poem by Faith Wood

I used to freeze time,
pocket the laughter and hold on to smiles
I'd have the scene carved into my eyes
so it would never leave my mind
All the nightmares and sick days
were washed away with the strongest of chemicals
only to relieve the repeating memories
But that's not how to live
I learned that the hard way

All I ever wanted was to keep us close
Not move too fast and ignore the ghosts
I'd lay awake for days
just stagnant in the best of times,
not noticing the hand tick by
The moment has changed and time is gone
and who knows what's next to come
I can't lose myself
between the ticking and the sound of the chimes