Tonight's Poet Corner: And The Clocks Went Dead

And The Clocks Went Dead
by Belinda Roddie

I had a dream that time stopped,
and the chemistry of our bodies
couldn't handle the change.
Light burst from our eyes

like tiny supernovae, and we
screamed, for the pain
in our heads was too much
to bear. But then, it was over, and
the darkness faded, and the throbbing

subsided like a fading drum.
I walked out into the snow
and saw shadows there, some
in dark coats, and some
with no purpose at all.

When I was actually awake,
I went out to grab lunch at
the burrito shop, and the girl
who served me rice and chorizo

had a tattoo under her right eye:
A green dollar sign, like
a fragile wish for success
drawn in ink on her translucent
skin. I stepped out into

the rain, and the shadows
were still there, though time
moved as quickly as it always
did, and there were no dying
stars in my eyes.