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Turning the Hourglass

Time limits boggle my mind 
with stressful thoughts of "hurry up,"
and "don't dawdle."
It makes me anxiously annoyed
to be pressured into completing
whatever the task.

I want to keep turning the hourglass
to keep the sands from running out, 
or shackle the tongue of a clock's pendulum
before its gong rings, "Too late,
you've failed to achieve your goal!"

If truth be told, 
I prefer not to measure time at all. 
The urgency of ticking hands
makes me clench my jaws and fists.
I become impatient when it pushes
and shoves me along, relentlessly.

Times up and I'm done.

Copyright © Lin Lane | Year Posted 2024

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Paul Willason Date: 9/10/2024 3:53:00 AM I'm with you on this...have been trying to give time the slip for years but it sticks to my heel. How cruel it is in measuring us out. Sorry my dear Lin for long pause in commenting on yr poems...had a few challenges. Have been reading em all though. Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 9/10/2024 6:45:00 AM Hi Paul and no sorry needed. I have been out of town for a few days and came home just in time to prepare for a hurricane that will make landfall near me tomorrow. Thanks for commenting, and I hope your challenges have been met and defeated.

Tom Cunningham Date: 9/5/2024 7:58:00 AM 3 minutes wow that would have taken me 3 hours lol. Good luck in the contest Lin. Tom Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 9/5/2024 8:06:00 AM Ha, Tom. It absolutely would not have taken you 3 hours to write this. But I will gratefully accept your well wishes.

Daniel Henry Rodgers Date: 9/5/2024 4:59:00 AM Dear Lin, I am so with you and watching time just slows everything down but increases anxiety. I am afraid that with all the technology it is a constant battle. I loved reading your poem this morning and I want to live a life without the stress of time. Wonderful Read! - Blessings, My Dear Friend, Daniel Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 9/5/2024 8:08:00 AM Hi Daniel and thank you for being ever vigilant in commenting on my poetry. It's it ironic that we complain about time moving too quickly, and yet... fickle as we are, we sometimes get fussy that it's not passing quickly enough.

Kim Rodrigues Date: 9/4/2024 8:12:00 PM The urgency of ticking hands makes me clench my jaws and fists...yes, I’ve had to work on that too! Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 9/5/2024 3:30:00 AM Frustrating when time does not stop for us. Thanks a lot, Kim.

John Lawless Date: 9/4/2024 2:03:00 PM ..."shackle the tongue of a clock's pendulum"...gawd, I love that line a splash of personification in a momentary frenzy Nicely done Lin. Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 9/4/2024 3:23:00 PM Oh, why the heck not? Three minutes to just spit out what I was thinking. Hopefully it made sense or else I need professional help. Thanks a bunch, John.

David Kavanagh Date: 9/4/2024 1:24:00 PM Well you said all that needs to be said about time in 3 minutes, and made the deadline too, how clever is that Lin! Very clever indeed methinks, fussing unnecessarily over time is indeed a waste of time, now it’s my turn too get outta here, great one for contest, cheers David Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 9/4/2024 3:22:00 PM What can I say? I think fast, type fast and even if my thoughts sound like I'm lost, wondering around in a corn field, they are mine. I really don't like having time limits. Thanks for the well wishes, David.