Time & The Relentless Tide

the relentless tide
keeps lapping me
pounding me
the day comes in
the night goes out
in
out
in
out
over and over
such fast
passing
i can't get
my breath
can't wrap 
my head around
the speed of things
can't see over 
the ridge
can't seem to 
get ahead
can't seem to
even stay
in the same place
tide pulls me
back back back
towards the
end of my days
like a roller coaster
racing
like a race boat
soaring
i'm flying
towards the finish line
nothing's slowing me down
and then that sleep comes
and steals my hours more
and i think, oh god
when will i get it all done
and where's all those landmarks
i was supposed to see 
and stop for
and what happened to my
youth
and where'd the old
childhood go
and how did i make it here
already
how did i make it here
already
and yet still find myself
so behind
so behind
so behind
and alone
this thing called time
keeps beating me
over the head
my arms flail and reach for
a branch to hold on to
to keep me from getting 
ahead of myself
and my life
as it is swirling by
so quickly
so quickly
so quickly
it all goes
goes
goes
and where's the pauser
and when do i get to
stop and take it in
and isn't it so true
oh, thornton wilder
that we never truly
appreciate it 
while we're here.