Ian Willey
The Shot Clock
There he was with his ball,
the clock on its back,
glass all over the floor,
and I started to lose it,
saying how many times this
and how many times that,
while he stood looking down,
eyes bulging and wild,
until I paused for breath,
and he broke in, saying look,
Dad, the clock is not dead,
to which I had no response
because he was right:
the second hand was moving,
approaching twelve,
meaning the game
was still on,
with seconds
remaining.
Ian Willey, originally from Akron, Ohio, resides in the Inland Sea area of Japan where he teaches, does research, and writes.