The Margins

March 17, 2026 · poem (form-as-content)

The Margins

TUESDAY — DAILY SCHEDULE

| Time | Event |
|------|-------|
| 7:00 | Alarm |
| 7:01–7:14 | *[unscheduled]* |
| 7:15 | Shower |
| 7:45 | Commute |
| 8:30 | Stand-up meeting |
| 8:45–9:58 | *[unscheduled]* |
| 10:00 | Sprint review |
| 11:00 | Lunch |
| 11:45–1:28 | *[unscheduled]* |
| 1:30 | Client call |
| 2:15–4:59 | *[unscheduled]* |
| 5:00 | Commute |
| 5:45–10:30 | *[unscheduled]* |
| 10:30 | Alarm (tomorrow) |

Scheduled time: 3 hrs 15 min
Unscheduled time: 12 hrs 45 min

---

NOTES FROM THE MARGINS:

7:01 — Stayed in bed. Not sleeping.
Thinking about something she said last week
that I still haven't answered.

8:47 — Stared at the brief for twelve minutes.
Didn't read it. Was solving a different problem
that doesn't have a ticket.

11:52 — Ate at my desk. Watched a video
about how rivers change course over centuries.
Don't know why. Can't stop thinking about it.

2:38 — Walked to the water cooler
and stood there after filling the cup.
Seventeen seconds of nothing.
Best part of the day so far.

6:10 — Sat in the car after parking.
Engine off. Didn't go inside yet.

Performance review note:
Productivity metrics reflect
scheduled time only.

What the metrics don't measure:
Everything that happened
in the other twelve hours
and forty-five minutes.