The Illusion of Time

As a child
you carry it
like a ball and chain,
all day long,
slowing life itself.

It seemed eternity
till the next birthday,
and it took forever
after you first saw
the fat men in their
funny red suits
until Christmas came.

Time's hands moved faster
when you entered that
netherland between
childhood and grownup.
Now propelled by lust and
a nervous twitch in your
soul-- who am I, now and
in all the years to come?

Then you awake into the
glorious twenties--
exploring lands and loves.
You start the jagged search
for one to spend time with,
to spend down a lifetime
until the day one of you
runs out of time....

Yet it will only be when
you are old and measure
time not by years or decades
even, but by a half-century
and counting-- then time
will be an express train
hurtling you either towards
oblivion, or an eternity where
clocks are redundant and you
know what you once suspected
in the world of dust and breath:
you ARE the forever moment,
without beginning or ending.


(c. 2012)

Reviews

[ElizaB]

Hey!

First off, I really like your title! It sparked so many ideas in my mind in an instant and made me eager to read on.

Secondly I loved the imagery that you created and the fluidity this allowed.

And thirdly; your last stanza reminded me of a part in the novel The Great Gatsby (have you ever read it?). It is similar to the character Nicks depiction of growing old and the inevitability of death.

Thanks again!

[Nolo Segundo]

Thanks Eliza, I'm glad you like it--and yes, I read Gatsby-- it's one of Fitzgerald's 3 perfect novels.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

beautiful i thought this was brilliant actually, good luck

[Nolo Segundo]

thank you, J.