Time 2020
I have written so little in the last 18 months or so, to be back to writing is a relief. It seems somehow appropriate that inspiration should dawn on the same day that I discover this (old) new version of UKA.
Time 2020
Seconds…
plop… plop… plop…
into viscous minutes.
They clump and bind
and miss and slide past,
with nothing to hold to.
Hours coagulate, stickily,
and time is slithering,
cold tar rate and
hot treacle speed –
an unsavoury conglomeration,
unmeasured and…
unmeasured.
Days come, go,
the days of our being
indistinguishable,
they swirl and blend into
blandness;
closed down.
The tempo of our lives is
colla voce Covid,
dragging and rushing
– both unseen.
The rhythm gone,
we fumble through
our un-barred lives;
counting seconds,
missing minutes.
Tick tock.
Tick…
Tock…
© Elfstone 24/9/20
Brilliant piece of observational philosophy (does it even exist?) I really loved it though. It is very insightful, I think, especially to those of us who have seen too much of this ‘unsavoury conglomeration’ slipping through our fingers. Witty, poignant and pithy.
Allen
I’m blushing and smiling – many thanks for such a lovely comment, griffoner. It was rather surprising, after such an arid period, to find myself back writing again. This year in particular has been so peculiar; time seems to have stood still and yet there is a strong sense of the year rushing past, with nothing achieved. You are right of course about some of us having seen too much slip through our fingers…
Elf
Hi Elf, I am glad to see you have started to get writing again. I too have been in the doldrums for a good while. I like the originality of the way you describe time in this piece. It captures well the ambiguity of time both standing still, slithering past and clinging like treacle. I too have felt time has become distorted by the craziness of what is happening globally. I envy you your location and at least you can experience a deep connection to nature that some of us in the city strive for. I am incredibly fortunate in… Read more »
Thanks for leaving a comment Storm –glad you like this. Yes, it’s the odd distortion of time, in this strange world, that is disconcerting. I’m finding it rather unsettling.
Pup is doing well, given the circumstances. I managed to have three x 1hr sessions 1-1 with a dog behaviourist – very helpful – but lots of dogs are suffering because of lockdown etc. Ho-hum, what can we do?
Elf