"clockface" poems
at this rate we die
beheaded by the second hand
nervous tick of hours
Aug 6, 2021
Aug 6, 2021 at 7:15 PM UTC
Fear of the next day
Content at the thought of being inside
The world and the people you know
May be there but do they care
Really care and pass their day in the
Mirror of your life
Hankering after a peaceful finale
A strange edifice of warming thoughts
Surrounding my heart and my simple body
Do not keep a vigil on me
Don't pretend you care
When you quite simply aren't even
In the wreck of the days proceedings
I cannot tell you the things you need to hear
My voice is silent as the moon
I feel sorry for you but then
You feel the same way for yourslf
Isn't that how it gets when time
Just ticks away at the clockface of immobility
My love is still here as ever it was
I always think poor man
I can't justify this message as it manifests
A lump within my throat and I can hear
My heart beating out an untimely rhythm
Afraid of the future, don't be
Your resolve is impressive
Continue your day to day survival
You will surprise yourself as weeks
turn into months then years
There is a life, just believe it
For each must bear the hard cross of lost
Passion and of pleasant encounters
It seems that these count for nothing in the
Short term of soul searching and nostalgia
Nothing is now beyond you
Your best period may be just about to arrive.
For my friend Ken
Nov 16, 2013
Nov 16, 2013 at 4:07 PM UTC
I can't tell the truth from the pile
of airplanes in my backyard.
You have (so far) protected me from my worst fears (aliens/father).
You drew a clockface around one of
my *******
and said clocks like clox, box like bocks.
I call you honest ape, because you
art evolution.
In last light I pulled down my undersea
and said lets dig offshore for oil.
We are grand and novel and full of ****
me with advertising across my ***
you with your baby blue stick shift.
Mar 21, 2015
Mar 21, 2015 at 11:36 AM UTC
the cat silences with a scritch under the chin,
the basement is organized in bins
the **** garden mocks my back
the inbox smugly holds its stacks
each moment a jump from clockface
slash to slash
wife lays in the afterglow, flies buzz two and fro, night stages house creaking, shingle colors leaking, dishes sit sloppily in the sink,
the ticking drives me to tears
Aug 11, 2018
Aug 11, 2018 at 6:04 PM UTC
Yes, I think I did it
Didn’t I do it
I mean, you saw me do it
Yes, you did
You saw me do
What I’ve never been able to do
Which was to say
Love you
Love me
It was nothing
Nothing at all
Nothing to do
Was it even true
I stare into space
Implacable clockface
Worn-out bookcase
All the knowing I stuffed
Shelved, just in case
Ornamental armament
Bounded & staged
Dialectical argument
I did nothing
Who did nothing
You did
No, I didn’t
Who are you talking to
Who’s asking
Don’t answer a question with a question
Don’t tell me what to do
Relax we’re only talking
Don’t patronize
Don’t criticize
Well that’s what I mean
Was I doing Nothing,
Or Something?
What did I do?
I mean
Was it Nothing
Or
Was it Something
Tell me
Was Nothing Something
or
Was Something the Nothing I did
or
Nothing the Something I did
I’m an Escher painting
One hand painting the other
Thing is
I don’t know
But that is the very thing I know
Talking to a friend today
She says
I got to go
My daughters calling me
Thing is
She doesn’t have a daughter
Or does she
Thing is
I know
She wanted to talk about her thing
And I wanted to talk about my thing
I know
How this looks to you
But here’s what you need to know
I’ve listened and listened and listened
I’ve been a listening machine
So shut the **** up
I’m not your therapist
This I’ll only do for my daughter
You mean our daughter.
Whatever
But, here’s the real thing
A think thing
You don’t have to say anything
But’ it’s better if you do
Because I need you to
But not like this
So maybe it’s better if you don’t
But, that’s not the real thing
Maybe It’s better if you do
Or don’t
Then Don’t
Then Do
Don’t
Do
Don’t
Do
Then Don’t
Then Do
Please Do
I think I’m thru with you!
But wait
I have to think this through
Where have I heard that before
Not from me.
Feb 16, 2019
Feb 16, 2019 at 9:48 AM UTC
The timelines in
those stories are
wrinkles on your
face.
Sep 22, 2018
Sep 22, 2018 at 11:34 AM UTC