Counting Down (Poetry)

Though it still might be
a long — long — long way off
but still it comes
as if on a wire
invisible
it hums
and the air shivers
in anticipation
even years ahead
and there’s no stopping it
when it’s got your name on
at least
that’s what’s been said.

It’s no good dodging
no point hiding
steel is steel
the bullet’s always lethal
so accept that death is just
another disappointing deal
and somewhere in the distance
fate has got a gun
trained on us all
and has already pulled
the trigger so
it’s now a case of counting
down the moments
’til it catches up
and one by one
we fall.