The Slowest Animal Alive

by Nick Jaina

spend another minute on the masquerade
of the puppet show that the master made
and pull another thread through the silken cloth
like the flapping wings of the milkweed moth
and write the first story of the miracle
of the slowest animal alive

hang another moment on the rubberneckers
who are trapped in glass on the doubledeckers
as lovers are still kissing under mistletoe
though it kills the trees and we all know, so
hold your camera steady on the perfect form
of the slowest animal alive

you said you needed time
but what if we
measured time like the symphony
like the space between the cymbal hits
or when the final ringing of the cymbal quits
you can see it all in time lapse, the measured movements
the wicked grace, our time onstage

spend another minute on the candy hearts
as the ocean waves take back the sandy parts
and hang another moment on the redwood trees
as they're all cut down at their redwood knees
hold it in your mind for the rest of time
it's the slowest animal alive