the significance of the passage of time

after she puts

sleepy Joe to bed

tucking him in with a bowl

of ice-cream,

and her little

yellow toy school bus,

she tells him not to worry,

i got this Joey, she says,

then

the DEI candidate begins

her speech

by saying that there is

significance

to the passage of time,

time as we all know

passes by,

and there is significance

in that,

but she gets stuck there

like a bald tire

in the snow, going around

and around.

she says it a few more times.

rearranging the words,

laughing

and rolling her eyes.

time has significance,

she says,

as it passes. we all know 

that right?

we all know

how time works, right?

it passes.

you can't get it back.

there is great significance

in that.

she throws her arms into

the air and laughs again,

cackling at the sky.

let's not be burdened

or unburdened by

the passage of time, okay?

it's important that we do that

she concludes

to mild but befuddled

applause.