Long Enough

30 Minutes

One half hour,

One thousand and eight hundred seconds.

One tick on the clock can mean the entire world.

30 minutes

Each one filled with its own story,

Excitement, dread, joy, grief, adrenaline.

Emotions, thoughts, and actions all tied into one.

30 minutes.

Time enough to grow and prosper.

Time enough to break down and give in.

Time enough to change someone’s life.

“Should I walk away?”

“Can she handle herself?”

“It's not that long.”

Trust me,

Looking back.

30 minutes?

It’s long enough.

Anxious pacing as the story unfolds,

Sitting in a silenced waiting room,

Lying awake with only my thoughts for company,

Reexamining every little detail,

Hiding my regrets every time I'm asked about you,

Remembering to hate him when he passes on the street,

Pretending it never happened the next time we talked,

All of these things,

They don't take much more,

Than 30 minutes of my time.

Realizing that just one half hour could have saved you,

And trying not to hate myself for it,

Everytime I see your face.

That's gonna take a little longer.