MY GRANDFATHER'S
CLOCK
WAS TOO LARGE
FOR THE SHELF
SO IT STOOD NINETY YEARS
ON THE FLOOR
IT WAS TALLER BY HALF
THAN THE OLD MAN
HIMSELF
THOUGH IT WEIGHED
NOT A PENNYWEIGHT
MORE
IT WAS BOUGHT
ON THE MORN'
OF THE DAY
THAT HE WAS BORN
AND WAS ALWAYS
HIS TREASURE AND PRIDE
BUT IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
NINETY YEARS
WITHOUT SLUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
HIS LIFE SECONDS
NUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
IN WATCHING
ITS PENDULUM
SWING TO AND FRO
MANY HOURS HAD
HE SPENT WHILE A BOY
AND IN CHILDHOOD
AND MANHOOD
THE CLOCK SEEMED
TO KNOW
AND TO SHARE
BOTH HIS GRIEF
AND HIS JOY
FOR IT STRUCK
TWENTY-FOUR
WHEN HE ENTERED
AT THE DOOR
WITH A BLOOMING
AND BEAUTIFUL BRIDE
BUT IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
NINETY YEARS
WITHOUT SLUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
HIS LIFE SECONDS
NUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
MY GRANDFATHER SAID
THAT OF THOSE
HE COULD HIRE
NOT A SERVANT
SO FAITHFUL HE FOUND
FOR IT WASTED NO TIME
AND HAD BUT
ONE DESIRE
AT THE CLOSE
OF EACH WEEK
TO BE WOUND
AND IT KEPT IN ITS PLACE
NOT A FROWN UPON
ITS FACE
AND ITS HANDS
NEVER HUNG BY ITS SIDE
BUT IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
NINETY YEARS
WITHOUT SLUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
HIS LIFE SECONDS
NUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
IT RANG AN ALARM
IN THE DEAD
OF THE NIGHT
AN ALARM
THAT FOR YEARS
HAD BEEN DUMB
AND WE KNEW
THAT HIS SPIRIT
WAS PLUMING HIS FLIGHT
THAT HIS HOUR
OF DEPARTURE
HAD COME
STILL THE CLOCK
KEPT THE TIME
WITH A SOFT
AND MUFFLED CHIME
AS WE SILENTLY STOOD
BY HIS SIDE
BUT IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED
NINETY YEARS WITHOUT
SLUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
HIS LIFE SECONDS
NUMBERING
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
IT STOPPED
SHORT
NEVER TO GO AGAIN
WHEN THE OLD MAN
DIED