Waste Time

I went to the watch shop to waste time
I went up to the counter
And proffered her my
Movado
It is fast said I

It holds too much time

It was heavy
Glinted with too much of it in its
Black
Shiny
Blank
Face

She looked at me
Turned my watch
Put it in the time squeezer
And asked how many minutes
I'd like to lose

Contemplating,
I briefly thought
All of it
But then I realised she wouldn't be able to do that
That would require more than the
Simple time waster she had in her shop
So I said

A little bit

The machine rattled
Shook as the time
Mutely receded from its captive

The smell of burnt
Minutes wafted through the
Shop, kind of like hair
Brushing a candle flame
Like my eyebrows
After I refilled the camping stove
Without first extinguishing it

She released the latches
Holding it down

I picked up my Movado

It looked better

It had lost some time