Zero: infinite source, all things possible contained within it not yet manifest
Zero is the pause before action
I'm gonna count to three and you better
— be in the house
— stop your crying
— clean up that mess
— come over here so I can give you something to cry about
At zero, your hand is poised to dispense judgment
ready to pull, slap or shove
Your mouth is already shaping the sound of a yell and words that would hurt
At zero, my fate is sealed
At one, you move towards me with tired eyes
Then two, you reach for me — there's no saving me now
And three, I fly across the room, landing on the floor
I am humiliated and scared
How could you?
Note: the title is a phrase taken from a short story by Mavis Gallant
