it was not there 'neath pebble or stone
it was not there in sigh or moan
it was not hidden in the bank
of yen or dollar or pound or franc

i could not find it in my house
'mongst the knick-knacks of child 'n spouse
it seemed i'd lost forever and after
time

but then i found lost time one day
by giving a smile 'n myself away,
he came back slowly, unsure at first,
but then returned, as bank that burst

the more i gave, the more i found
'twas not lost nor died nor drowned
he just was hiding all around
as twinkling dust on the ground