The Second Hand

With every tick, the second hand Proceeds around the face, A little like a heartbeat At a slow and steady pace. So many clocks and watches, though, Don’t come so well-equipped So you might never realize If some seconds had been skipped. There’s comfort, then, to check the time On wall or desk or wrist And behold the second hand a’tick With not one second missed. The irony, of course, is that, What really is absurd Is acknowledging the second hand Is actually the third!