The Day Is Waiting

One of the best myths, the myth
Of the expiration date,
Trusted to the point of faith,

Observed, anticipated,
Consulted well in advance
As if Delphic oracle,

Doesn’t count among the best
Merely for its sanctity,
But for its efficacy—

It reifies the future,
It thingifies that date stamped
In the form of an omen.

Like any powerful myth,
It gleams most radiantly
When used metaphorically.

Say that love, say dictators,
Say authors, celebrities,
Fads, hypotheses, patience

All have expiration dates,
And not only are their ends
Assured, but fated, scheduled,

Their dates with nonexistence
Like true things that are
Already in existence.