How to Pass Time in a Meeting
Stare at the screen. Nod from time to time. Squint
like you are concentrating. Imagine everyone else
in a new setting- a circus or a remote fishing village.
Look up and smile when you hear your name. Jot
down a word that someone just emphasized, then
draw a box around it. Make it your own. Add a star
or a question mark. Dream of new ways to use your
secret word. You would kill to protect that word.
Picture yourself under a street lamp on a foggy
night, your trench coat collar flipped up to disguise
your face. Repeat the word and know that you have
set the plan in motion. Lean back in your chair.
Lean forward. Subtly flex one muscle at a time.
Make a list (favorite movies, earliest memories,
unusual super powers). Find an opportunity to say
"I agree" or "That makes sense." Do the math and
figure out how many days you have been on Earth
or how many Tuesday afternoons you have left
based on average age expectancy. Add ten years
if you've been to the gym in the last week or so.
Text your best friend or your wife a random date
that falls in the next six months, followed by "That's
the day we make our big announcement." Ignore the
confused responses. Enjoy the mystery you created.
If you must text back, reply "You know what I'm
saying. Don't be obtuse." After that, radio silence.
Focus. Ask a question or say something clever. Take
stock. Consider your gifts and failings. Celebrate
the wins. Forgive what needs to be forgiven. Focus
on the ticking clock. Try to sync your heartbeat to the
sound. Contemplate the spaces between the ticks. Not
the sounds but the absence of sound. Remember how
the sun feels before it gets too hot. Then, write a poem.
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