Ramshackle Review

The Concept of Time

by John Tustin

Rinsing out my daughter’s paintbrush

    in the bathroom sink

just now

    and she’s pulling

on my pantleg

    because she wants the picture

she believes she worked

    so hard to create

in her hands

    to show mommy

not understanding the concept

    that time

makes it dry

    and that

not touching what you want

    to touch

when you want

    to touch it

is sometimes

    necessary

if you want that something

    to last

beyond the moment

    you first

wanted it.

John Tustin’s poetry is forthcoming in Primalzine, Lyrotica, pawpaw, and others. Visit his website.