A moment of abstraction

Time moves imperceptibly
         through our days
through our lives
         but it’s there in our bones
Time is there in the daffodils
         and the roses
in the rise and fall
         of all things
in the coming and going
         of the seasons — but these
are merely the showy
         manifestations of chronometry
Real time is hardcore and very much deeper
         than the metered moments
captured in clocks and watches
         and every other device
these days under the sun
         that have made time so cheap

Time moves imperceptibly
         but with the stealth of a leopard
stalking its prey
         What became of all our hopes
and dreams what became
         of our ambition ?
What became of every joy
         and all our happiness
the warmth of our words
         the promise in every kiss
and the tenderness that saw us
         through the dark nights
prepared us for the challenges
         of even darker days ?
What became of love ?

John Lyons