…ironically, is timeless
Time slips
imperceptibly away
we never notice
it passing
nor hear
its invisible sands
whispering
in the shifting shadows
as unseen
it trickles slowly
through the hourglass
and time emerges
unexpectedly
like an assassin
from the darkness
wielding its many weapons
seeking its prey
in silence
the definition
of an apex predator
it rules over all
it can never be captured
it can never be killed
extinction
is not a consideration
for time
ironically
is timeless
the minutes
follow the seconds
the hours
follow the minutes
the days
follow the hours
the months
follow the days
and the years
the years
they stretch for centuries
longer than imagined time
these units we assign
to blocks of time
are meaningless
just as we allocate days
and months
and years
to life
as we dabble
in trends
and expectations
frailty and fortitude
wishing away
the here and the now
to reach
an imaginary marker
blind
to the centuries
of evidence
the evidence
of our own impermanence
as we cling to the myths
of giants
of the strong
versus the weak
how we presume
the mild
and the meek
to be lacking
in fortitude
or visible desires
unfit for longevity
we cleave
to the fantasy
of fear
assigned to the giants
among beasts
blind
to the reality
that often
all that it takes
is an unexpected
encounter
with an unrelenting
assassin
for both nature
and time
have armies
of all persuasions
and they never sing
of their conquests
or parade
the spoils of war
in reality
time
rules over all
from its invisible
dark domain
assigning deadlines
and extensions
at will
and is never obliged
to meet expectations
for at any time
and in any place
with or without
a reason
a life
can be saved from falling
by an unseen hand
or extinguished
like a candle in the wind
© Ann Bagnall
