In the tenth second of forever

I thought of the sea and a white yacht drifting

In the ninth second of forever

I thought of a leaf, a stone, a plastic fragment of a child's toy

In the eighth second of forever

I remembered a warm room where voices played

In the seventh second of forever

I thought of the life I would not lead

In the sixth second of forever

I saw your mouth whispering something I could not hear

In the fifth second of forever

I thought of the vermillion deserts of Mars, the jeweled forests of Venus

In the fourth second of forever

I could remember nothing that I did not love

In the third second of forever

I thought of rain against a window, I thought of the wind

In the second second of forever

I thought of a pair of broken shades lying on the tarmac

In the first and final second of forever

I thought of the long past that had led to now

And never...

Never...

Never...