Jonathan,
I had lots of extra thyme, so I brought some for over for you. It’s wrapped in a paper towel in a Ziploc bag in the back of the fridge. Enjoy!
Sean
***
Dear Sean,
I remember you telling me you were lengthening your day
an extra thirty minutes by listening to books on tape while taking the train.
Thank you so much for sharing your extra time with me.
I used this time to scramble eggs
with goat cheese and fresh basil rather than
shoveling my usual bowl of cheerios
down my throat while I tie my shoes.
Thanks again. You’re the best.
***
Dear Sean,
Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful. It’s just that,
I’m suspicious of leftovers.
I’ve heard time spoils fast if you leave it out.
How long have you had this time before you wrapped it up?
Is the paper towel supposed to be moist?
Should I put it in the freezer?
How long do you think it will keep?
***
Dear Sean,
Do I have to use all this time at once?
Could I slice the time and spread it
over burnt moments of the past and future?
Could I go back in time and put a salty slab
of time over a moment of harsh judgment?
Could I skip forward into the future
where I might need a few minutes to think something over?
Could I use the time you’ve given me then instead of now?
___
Jonathan Brown graduated with a BA in Communication from the College of Charleston and an MA in Writing and Consciousness from Then New College of California. He is currently working on his MFA at The University of New Orleans. He was the winner of the 2010 and 2012 Tennessee Williams Literary Festival Poetry Slam in New Orleans. His poems have been published in the Worcester Review, Ampersand, The Nashville Review and Indiefeed: Performance Poetry. He recently received the John Woods Scholarship to study in Prague.
