Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hasten the Day

Inspired by the effect described in this article.

While seeming to roll steadily through space
Earth oft endures adjustments to her face
by force of scouring storm and shifting plate.
One quake, by Richter’s scale an 8.8,
quite beyond the obvious disaster,
may have caused the Earth to rotate faster.

What diff’rence does a millisecond
make? It matters not eternally.
It still takes just as long for bread to
bake; but how long will my child be three?
Am I procrastinating if to-
morrow comes before today is through?
Earth hurtles on, not bearing to wait
A destiny clocks can’t calculate.

8 comments:

  1. This is a very well constructed and thoughtful poem. I love the enjambments. You have not been scared to split words between lines to preserve your rhythmic schemes. And thanks for the article reference - very interesting. My own poem takes a different view of the difference a few milliseconds might make,

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  2. Quality depth in this provocative piece - breathtaking.

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  3. A thoughtful view of time...Thank you.

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  4. Thank you for the article link I read it first. I had not been aware that the earth was affected like this. Great poem to follow up with such an interesting phenonmena.

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  5. "...It still takes just as long for bread to
    bake; but how long will my child be three?..." Our constant battle to understand 'time', in a few short words.

    Poetry24…where news is the Muse

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  6. last line is true.
    love the word flow.
    beautiful tale.

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