Keeping Time

 

A bird is tapping on the chimney cowl

installed recently to prevent

said birdy and its pals from descent

into the burning flames of eternity.

Its beat strikes alternate time with the clock

ticking on the mantle piece

recently introduced to act as metronome

for  my daily floor exercises

also recently embarked upon

to stay my journey to the afterworld.

Tick Tock Tick the bird and clock

in duo seem to call,

my very own cuckoo clock,

but heralding every second

and not just the hours,

a reminder of the relentless passage

of time and the need for me to persist

with building bridges, tilting pelvis

and, if I can manage it,

a one legged squat.

Copyright 2026 Cathy Leonard