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Wednesday 5 December 2012

Time happens

I didn't know that Time had time
to watch us as it ticks away --
or is it us it ticks away,
a smoke and mirrors party trick,
the way the quayside seems to leave
our stationary ship?

And if time closes Time's one eye,
will everything slow down,
will snores replace the former ticks,
and tocks turn into grunts?
Will what Time watches be but dream?
Will Time have dreams of us?

Our dreams are dreams of possible
when Time is out of town.
Things happen coincidingly:
the Eiffel Tower is London Zoo,
the train becomes a bicycle
before Time's eye can wink.

And is it tick and tock, my friend,
or is it snore and grunt
that brings the music to a life,
the rhythm to a dream?
For even ugly sounds can sing
transmuted by the ears.
...................................
I am indebted to Willow at The Mag for this image as prompt.

19 comments:

Ygraine said...

Wow, what a deep and facinating post, Dave. It well and truly has me in it's thrall!
Is it time - or is it us that moves through the continuum of experience?
And can we escape it's steel-like grip, if only in our dreams?
Perhaps there is hope yet...:)

haricot said...

If I could use this magical method
making some harsh sound into comfortable one. It is a dream.

Anonymous said...

Ha! I like the idea of the snore and grunt getting a little love! Certainly more homey than tick and tock and I suspect more forgiving. A very cool response to the prompt. I once again bring up Terry Pratchett--Have you read a Thief of Time? Wonderful. I think you'd like him/it because he is also very philosophical. k.

kaykuala said...

When time goes tick, tock then it's a constant. It moves through a life of its own. But when time is interspersed with snorts and grunts then it creates music that prevents others to enjoy 40 winks. As a bonus it can be a good laugh though! Nicely Dave!

Hank

Brian Miller said...

smiles...pretty cool thought on time watching us as it slips away...i wonder what it thinks of us or how we spend it....def a thought burner man...

Daydreamertoo said...

Love it... if we knew the answers we'd be famous.
As a child I used to wonder...who said..this green stuff is going to be called 'grass' and, who said that tall thing was going to be called a 'tree'...who thought of what names things ought to be called... the questions are endless. This reminded me so much of those lines of thought.
I love this interpretation of the pic.

anthonynorth said...

Does the fact that time gives us time to ponder mean your musings are accurate?
Great write.

Tumblewords: said...

A delightful read, full of deep and thought, smiles and
plot.

Leovi said...

I like this beautiful poem. Time never stops. What would a world without time?

Helen said...

Transfixed after reading just the first two lines ... you made magic with words, timeless.

Tess Kincaid said...

I never thought about time having time...I do wish it would go out of town once in a while...

Mary said...

This gave me such food for thought. It is good to question things, not to merely accept. It is the poet who can make sense of what is hard to understand.

Cloudia said...

Quite a lovely and perfect little machine/poem. And Koan.

From the first line.

Thanks for sharing, D




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Gerry Snape said...

Dave ...great rhythm in this one...and I love your thoughts like half dreams and just mulling over ideas!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I like the idea of time watching us as opposed to us watching it...great poem Dave!

Dave King said...

Ygraine
I have this deep suspicion that time is fixed - or stationary - and we move through it.
One day I'll work my suspicion up into a theory!!! Thanks for your comment.

haricot
I have to agree. Another if only...

manicddaily
Thanks for your thoughts -- particularly welcome on this one! No, I don't know Thief of Time, though I'm a great fan of Terry Pratchett. Thanks for the tip. I'll seek it out.

Hank
Absolutely! How could it ever have been otherwise?

Brian
It probably considers us a second short of a minute, don't you think?

daydreamertoo
I had the same sort of thoughts about spelling. When my teacher said D-O-G says dog! I thought Why should it? Why shouldn't it say House - or any other word? I did, though, always remember what she thought it said - and said that when asked.

anthonynorth
Not necessarily... I think! Thanks for the response.

Tumblewords
Thanks for this. Most encouraging.

Leovi
Ah, good question... I wonder.

Helen
Lovely of you to say so, thanks.

Tess
I have to agree with you there! Wouldn't that be useful?

Mary
I've always been fascinated by the difference betwen making sense of (the poet) and understanding (the scientist). You have resurrected the issue for me. Thanks.

Cloudia
Thanks Cloudia. Mush appreciated comment.

Gerry
Thank you so much. Good to hear the patient's on the mend!

Optimistic Existentialist
Hi, good to have your thoughts on this. Much thanks and best wishes.


A Cuban In London said...

That was beautiful. Time within time. The concept makes me dizzy, but curious.

Greetings from London.

Silent Otto said...

Wow, five minutes to midnight , Fosca , very agreeable

Cait O'Connor said...

This takes much time spent re-reading Dave, I love it. There is so much depth within. I am echoing the first comment by Ygraine.