wattpad tells me that my story
takes only 28 seconds to read. . .
am i sure
i want to publish my poem?

well,
once it runs out of fuel,

it takes less than 10 seconds
for a 10-billion-year-old star
to collapse upon its own weight
and become a black hole,
from which no light
can ever hope to escape.

once the trigger is pulled,

a .33 calibre bullet,
pointed up at the bridge of the mouth
takes. . .
less than 5 seconds
to take a person's life.

a shotgun,
pressed against the temple,
will take less than 1. . .
collapsing 26 years
into another black hole,
from which no light
can ever hope to escape.