whisper

there it is again:

that nudge
the flash of inspiration
an odd impression
a whispered word-- 

could there be meaning to what you heard?

a feeling
a caution
a rush of conviction
the hint of a hint of a radical vision
the swerve that avoided the head-on collision
the impulse
the instinct
the craziest dream

is this all as random as it might have seemed?

or is there a thread...
a purpose behind it all?

how do you know?
how can you tell?
is it wisdom?
Is it a warning?
is it anything at all?

a wakeup call
a smoke alarm
a friend with a needle track mark on her arm
the honk of a horn
the ring of a phone
the man with a sign that says 
broke and alone
a boulevard of bloodshot eyes
you know the look
you hear the sighs
a powerful pull in the dead of the night
to get up, to go out
and set something right

now hear this:

the relentless tick of a clock
the rapid fire beat of your heart
the end over end
acceleration of the years
as they pass
lightning fast

it all comes down to now


what will you do
will you step up
or will you back away
as though you never heard a thing

what will it be


it's your call