WT (Willow Time Zone)

 

WT (Willow Time Zone)

 

by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

 

 

Attention!  Jeopardy fans,

please answer in the form of a question–

or quatrain.

 

“Alex, I’ll take Time Zones for four hundred dollars.”

“Number of time zones in the United States.”

Smiling, the first contestant responds,

“What is nine?”

 

At home, in front of my little TV,

I blurt out,

“No, what is ten?”

 

Atlantic Time Zone, Eastern,

Central, Mountain, Pacific,

Alaska Time Zone, Hawaii-Aleutian,

Samoa Time Zone, Chamorro, …

and Willow Time Zone!

 

Have I befuddled Alex?

Have I befuddled my family and friends?

Hello, World,

I come to you from the Willow Time Zone.

 

What time are you calling?

Four o’clock, Mountain Time–

that is dinner time in the Willow Time Zone.

What time will the meeting end?

8:30, Eastern Time.

Oh, that will be

a minute before evening constitutional,

Willow Time.

 

My day is scheduled

precisely to Willow Time,

and I like life this way.

Willow Time seems so natural to me,

and it perfectly suits my Labrador.

 

Gratefully, I follow Willow Time

because I want my black lab to be

the best Leader Dog she can be

and the happiest dog in Wisconsin.

I set my clocks to Willow Time

because I want to be

the best dog handler I can be,

the best blind person I can be,

the most mobile and independent.

As I work and live with Willow,

I want to help her fill those big paws

so that we together can honor

all her predecessors–

Zoe, Heather, and Keller–

from whom I learned so much.

As Willow and I walk,

I want us to honor

all those who trained her,

raised her, and make all Leader Dogs possible

in all time zones.

 

My clock on Willow Time

is not a barking clock,

talking clock, nor alarm clock:

with just a little nudge,

a labbie lick, a raised paw–

Willow lets me know what time it is.

Yes, I check my watch

and know

that as I gently stroke my Willow,

I care nothing about Daylight Saving Time

or Standard Time:

Each day, I savour concentrating

on Willow Time

and heartily wish

to continue on WT

for at least one wonderful decade.

 

 

In whatever time zone you are in, enjoy a Happy August and the special reruns of Jeopardy!

Alice and Willow

 

August 3, 2016, Wednesday

 

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