Time Slips

'Time and tide wait for no man' Geoffrey Chaucer

Time Slips

Time slips like wet soap,

summer after summer

through the fingers of hope,

leaving much regret

for days empty of desire.

Reprise, The Eagles

‘Wasted Time’ plays

in my weary head,

bleeding me slowly of ambition.

I spent many years dry

and parched, searching for peace,

for the safety of certainty,

which when it came

was such a hollow victory.

Now devoid of comfort,

of companionship and love;

even my offspring have flown

to far flung places

where I have become

a mere passing thought

as time slips through their fingers.

 

08/09/14

Author's Note

Reviews

[Beccy]

Time has slipped since time began. It is the greatest of thieves if we allow it to be, but even time cannot steal memories.

Beccy.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thanks Beccy. Time slips for us all in different ways at different times in our lives. Sometimes we just want to forget some things.

[Ruth]

You have such a descriptive manner of executing emotion, I really enjoy reading your poetry hon xo

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you so much Poppy.

[Leslie Philibert]

Nice contrast here, Chaucer as a quote, then the Eagles, wet soap, so you very well span a wide range of ideas and images that fit together well, fine poem.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Many thanks Leslie.

[R Smith]

I know that feeling of a family flung far and wide and also how it feels to have wasted time on mundane activities when a brighter future beckoned, sometimes we drift along when we should run, great poem John making me think and regret too :)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah sorry about that Richard.many thanks.

[Lydia Shutter]

I can so relate to this one, John....unfortunately. As we get older, everything changes. Summer passes by quickly and then another Autumn and another Winter. Our friends and families are scattered over many miles and holidays are not what they used to be. The melancholy aura here is intense. "The safety of certainty" seems to evade us all. Incredible poetry! Lydi**

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Thank you Lydi

[Frieda P]

Your poetry is never a waste of time.......and you people talk about me, all I've read here today is sad poetry. This tugs at my heart John, you write longing, disappointment and remorse with such intensity, it stabs at the heart....offspring stanza did me in....sigh.

On the other hand, they say the fifth times a charm...no, wait. Cue the violins.... ;)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Crying my soul out right now!

[Frieda P]

What do you always tell me John?............

[Lyn Anderson]

This is so lonely, and wanting, and regretful. It is beautiful, but so very very sad. Makes the reader want to reach out and hug the speaker, as the pain and emotion is so very surface in this piece. Well done.
P.S. -- you know how much writing myself and Frieda racked up while you were not here? If I can I will send some requests. They don't work much for me.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ha thank you 'M', not sure I have the energy to catch up! What was the excitement while I was away?