(photo courtesy Photobucket)No longer owning an actual dictionary, I instead used a few novels to randomly pick out words that interested me in a reverse alphabetical order. Then, since I am not one to follow directions very well, I scrambled them to MY liking!
Fickle Time.
ruthless, relentless.
electing when
to raise its
omnipotent head
and demand true
servitude.
All but forgotten,
its sluggish trudge
becomes a
speeding train,
-wild and brakeless-
whistles blaring,
stopping for no one.
Anxious wait;
beloved loss;
unrealized dreams.
The ticking tyrant
chuckles, smile affixed,
quietly whispering,
“Pay attention”.
electing when
to raise its
omnipotent head
and demand true
servitude.
All but forgotten,
its sluggish trudge
becomes a
speeding train,
-wild and brakeless-
whistles blaring,
stopping for no one.
Anxious wait;
beloved loss;
unrealized dreams.
The ticking tyrant
chuckles, smile affixed,
quietly whispering,
“Pay attention”.
(the words I used were: whistle, trudge, servitude, ruthless, quiet, omnipotent, fickle, beloved)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wow, that is so good.
ReplyDelete'electing when to raise its head' I'm not sure I understand that part. Time is always there or here or whatever. Why would it choose to 'raise its head' if it is always present? or how would it raise its head?
Thanks,
Greg
Hi Cynthia,
ReplyDeleteTime is a demanding master. Right now I'm taking advantage of the snow and ignoring his presence!
I loved the assonance in this piece. Sounds, sounds, sounds... so beautiful.
ReplyDelete"The ticking tyrant" - great word choice. Your selection of words work well and fit together perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI read this aloud to myself and it flows like...time down a river.
ReplyDeleteQuite well done, Cynthia...
I love the way you capture the feeling that time often seems to move at different paces, but not usually at the speed we wish it to move. The last line is great advice.
ReplyDeleteIt 'fugits' for sure! Enjoyed this read and the thoughts it engendered. Surely, to 'pay attention' is a wise and hard taskmaster. :) Lovely read, indeed.
ReplyDeleteYou delineate the tyrant face of time so well.
ReplyDeleteWitty and oh-so-true!
ReplyDeleteThe poem built to a super last line. So true, and annoying. ;-)
ReplyDelete(Happy New Year!)
from Therese -- I love how the poem presents a contradictory portrait of yourself! That is, you introduce the poem by saying that you don't follow directions very well, but the poem is about the slave-master, tyrannial Time who demands that you pay attention. Our poems always reveal parts of ourselves, whether we intend them to or not. Time is an appropriate theme for the fresh start of the new year, the ticking clock of Times Square which reminds us all of the passing of our lives.
ReplyDeleteTyrant. Yes, we'd rather escape his notice, even (or maybe especially) when he smiles and chuckles.
ReplyDeletecynthia your personification of time is effective, erie, and daunting. the notion and idea of "father time" bearing down carries a lot of weight, and directly pulls the reader into your words. an enjoyable read this morning.
ReplyDelete-lawrence
I like the contradiction here, as time may seem a tyrant, but its our own perceptions that shape time's march. I love the phrase "sluggish trudge".
ReplyDeleteI broke the rules too, skipping the order part. Sometimes the poem makes its own demands :).
nicely timed Cynthia...well done again thanks...nd have a good year
ReplyDeleteLove the rhythm of poem
ReplyDeleteTime is indeed a tyrant. I like how this poem moves at a kind of quick and halting pace...kind of like the second hand of a clock. Nicely done.
ReplyDelete-Nicole