2.

She wakes up at precisely 7:59 AM
having set her alarm for 8 AM
She rolls over in the early gray light
and looks at the glowing red numbers,
then smacks the clock with her palm
before it can begin to squeal.

There must be a rhythm within her
that is willing to align itself to the gears of a clock
some silent internal tick-tock
that builds upon itself
and counts her body's beats
and knows the precise hour
even as she sleeps

that same inner rhythm
heavy with its tally of time
must also know
in addition to when, precisely, to wake up
when, precisely, it will stop for good.