take a pinch of the powder between thumb and index the evening before the appointment. set the watch ten minutes ahead — not by half an hour, not by five — and do not tell yourself why. lay the coat over the keys, not under them. in the morning, when something asks for an extra minute, give it the minute and leave the next thing undone.
ingredients
- a clock set ten minutes forward
- one undone thing, forgiven in advance
- two unhurried buttons
- the long inhale before the door
- a coat hung where it can be seen
- the count of the stair, descending
the powder cures the cause, not the symptom. expect the body to resist for nine days.
see also the room of the hourglass, the ticking, and the small ritual of leaving.