Synonyms & Scotch

Birthday and taxes...it seems I'm doing a lot of counting today.
Also born on April 8, Ponce De Leon. He searched for the fountain of youth. He found Florida instead.

Carrying Numbers

Before parts of me began to hurt,
the clock mapped me along
leading to an hour I could count on,
tolling it out to hear
so I would know if I had arrived
somewhere – a number
to pin things down, three o'clock
for example. And I'd tell myself
all is well. It’s an even deal I am
still walking, talking,
fusing time
with color.

Now, the clock lops off years,
marking the diagnoses of new hurts,
dolling out smaller rations of itself.
I place odd seconds
in my pockets, look for color
in those numbers - like
between now and death,
what number is that?
An uneven hue
cool and heavy.
When I check the clock
I see what I learned
in the long hours of arithmetic;
that if anything is leftover,
I have to carry it.

- m.r.kidd

Does AnyBody Really Know What Time It Is - Chicago
Time of No Reply - Nick Drake
Borrowed Time - John Lennon
Time - Tom Waits
Your Time Is Gonna Come - Led Zeppelin
Time Waits For No One - Rolling Stones
Time Is A Lion - Joe Henry
No Time - The Guess Who
Time - Pink Floyd
Right Time - Ray Charles
Hard Times - Yo Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, James Taylor