Don’t Waste the Watch

They weren't trying to break out.
Just watching. Waiting.
Framed by spindles like inmates behind bars… but calm. Loyal. Present.

I didn’t ask them to stand there.
They just do.
Every time I move, they’re there…ears tuned, eyes steady.

There’s a strange kind of comfort in that kind of loyalty.
Not the performative kind. The real kind.
The kind that watches without judgment.
The kind that just wants to know you’re okay. Still moving. Still you.

I snapped the photo without thinking.
But when I looked at it later, it hit different.
Because in a way… I’ve stood there too.
Behind the rails.
Not locked in. Just… paused.

Sometimes we create our own spindles.
We build routines, expectations, roles…then stand behind them like guards.
Or prisoners. Depends on the day.

And all the while, the ones who really care?
They’re not asking us to do more.
They’re not judging the pace.
They’re just watching, waiting…
For us to remember who we are.
To pick up the leash and take the next step.

Don’t waste the watch.
If someone’s still looking your way, it means they still believe.
Maybe you should too.