STILL TIME

You’re still breathing

That’s the point

I could finish this quick

But I don’t

I like knowing the second still bends

You think mercy’s the reason I wait

But mercy never enters my head

Every rule’s already been checked

Every angle already made sense

I don’t move till the moment agrees

I don’t rush what’s already cement

You feel the pause

You call it hope

I call it proof

There’s still time

Because I say so

Still air

Still pulse

Still control

I don’t need you gone yet

I need you aware

That this moment belongs to me

I don’t tremble

I don’t guess

I don’t ask what comes next

If you’re counting the seconds right now

It’s because I allowed you to

You mistake the delay for doubt

That’s a comfort people choose

But nothing here is undecided

I’m just deciding how much you lose

If I wanted noise

You’d already be gone

Quiet takes intention

There’s still time

Because I say so

Still breath

Still skin

Still soul

This isn’t mercy

This isn’t chance

This is control before the line is drawn

Now it’s even

One line

No rush