The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine    

Tick Tock

***

I have to wonder when the clock begins to run down
Sure we’re all outward bound
but in the beginning was forever
though
sooner than later ever came
the clock begins tock tick tick tock
tick tick ticking
somehow counting backward from some not quite
unremembered yesterday I fail to put my finger on
Unlike the very moment of falling in love
feeling my heart break
or coming to know like blazing sun
the matter of some thing
or another
Feeling first miracle of life within a body
holding in heart a child once
and then forever
Losing a friend
Witnessing anything which moved
changed
added
left
and left one somehow missing something known or just imagined so
great and grand
a tear upon a petal
any wonder held as truth and light sometime before this now

These I know
and can retell
clear eyed
blind
until the morning comes or you lie sleeping

In the beginning was forever
drifts from must to dust
as sure as all I am is clocked too slow
to measure past tomorrow or tomorrow
or tomorrow marked with sign beyond all ken
and all the frantic frenzied racing then
will not out pace the tock tock ticking of that time
or that to come
walk or run
when time is now and now is done

Published: June 20, 2007