And Time Ran Out

And Time Ran Out

The microwave was counting down,

My ready meal about to crown

My evening's solo dining treat—

The ping came after burning sweet,

And time ran out.

My parking ticket clearly said

"Two hours max" in warning red,

But shops were full and lines were long;

The warden's smile proved me so wrong—

And time ran out.

The library books lay by my bed,

"Just one more chapter," so I said,

For fourteen nights beyond their due,

Till fines exceeded book price too,

And time ran out.

My dental check-up, six months late,

(I thought that tooth could surely wait),

Now sits in pieces in my jaw—

Prevention's cheaper than the raw

Way time ran out.

The milk sat patient in the fridge,

While daily sniffing built a bridge

Between "still fresh" and "slightly off"

Until one morning's curdled scoff—

Yes, time ran out.

From youth to age, we race ahead,

Pretending time's a spool of thread

That stretches endless through our days,

Until we learn, in countless ways,

How time runs out.