Poetry

Time

A simple sonnet

Tim MargettsJuly 5, 202629 views

The clock’s soft tick betrays its silent chase,
It marches on, though none can see its feet.
Through all our days, it wears a mask of grace,
Yet leaves us all with naught but shadows, fleet.

It spins past the hours with a careless hand,
And robs us of what we cannot steal back,
We cling to moments, grains of shifting sand,
Yet, still, it runs upon its endless track.

But time itself, at last, begins to weep,
Its endless reach now faltering and slow,
For all its power, cannot hold its sweep,
And all that’s given must, in time, let go.

So, cherish what you have before it’s gone,
For time will take, but it will leave us none.

Reviews (2)

Katharine Folkes

7/5/2026

The Words That Got to Me

For time will take, but it will leave us none.

Boy, is THAT the truth! I feel like the months are flying by--too fast. I want it to slow down. Your words are lovely, as always, Tim. However, the following.... "But time itself, at last, begins to weep, Its endless reach now faltering and slow," I haven't noticed that. I think time laughs at us old people ( and I am not referring to you, of course), but to my contemporaries and me. In our case, TIME is the enemy:) If Father Time had an ounce of compassion, he'd pull a Rip Van Winkle!

Tim Margetts

7/5/2026

Thanks, Katharine. I am so pleased you enjoyed this sonnet. It is so interesting how we each approach a poem from different but equally valid directions. For you, the poem works on a literal level: Time is the victor. It never falters; it keeps marching while we slow down. Whereas I was looking more from a philosophical point of view. Eventually, even Time comes to an end. Whether that's the heat death of the universe, the end of existence, or something more metaphysical, Time itself isn't eternal. In that sense, it does "weep" because its dominion is ultimately over too. Until then, though, I suspect you're right... it has very little sympathy for the rest of us!

Katharine Folkes

7/5/2026

I think you look at most things philosophically, don't you? Or at least, the things you write about--which indicates that you are a deep thinker and complicated :)

Rachelle Allen

7/7/2026

The Words That Got to Me

It marches on, though none can see its feet. *THIS IS SO EXACTLY RIGHT!! I'd never thought of this before, but it's the essence of how it gets away with stealing the hours/days/years. We never see it move; we just witness the aftermath.

Oyyy. This one stings but mightily as the Big Seven-Oh whispers to me daily: "Sooooon!! SOOOOO. VERRRRRRRRRY. SOOOOOOOOON!" (as in, before the end of the month...) Deep, evocative and spot-on. Oh...and terrifying. Great work. xo

Tim Margetts

7/7/2026

Seriously, Rachelle? But you dont look a day over 68... I just turned 64, so I am also starting to feel the breath of years. But damn, so far... what a ride 😀😎