Microwave Minutes

Microwave minutes are the longest minutes.
There’s no doubt about this.
You slide your favorite food in and set the timer.
Great.
But now comes the tough part.
It lights up and illuminates the food.
Enticing you.
It spins smoothly,
Showing you all the delicious angles.
Taunting you.
The food warms, sizzles, and pops.
Calling to you.
But wait, it’s not done.
You still have a few more minutes to go.
So you stare at the food,
At the delicious food inches from you,
You and your growling stomach.
The timer ticks down.
Slowly. Slower. Slowest.
You’re convinced that you’re going to be ninety by the time it’s done.
Or at the very least not hungry anymore.
And yet it still spins and cooks and laughs
Blatantly in your face.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
Until finally, finally
You hear that ding of the microwave.
It sounds like a heavenly choir.
So you open the door,
Test it with your finger.
And…disappointment.
It’s still cold.
You sigh and close the door,
Punching in more numbers.
It spins again, showing off.
And again you wait.
And wait…
And wait…
And wait…
Microwave minutes are the longest minutes.

Written by Taylor Neal.