We wink at infinity every time the clock
sounds its alarm, unbending as it howls
as if timelines drive forward between
well-marked lines.
Hours turn
but always circle back.
Sometimes we notice the period while
standing in it but in a lifetime shared,
these eras softly merge,
blurry in places though
the color flashes in focus like leaves in Autumntime.
And the clock shouts, begging for timeliness
while eternity ticks
its pulsing heartbeat simply
a moment in time.
Phillip Knight Scott | © 2019
Written for the dVerse Poets Pub Meeting the Bar: Polyptoton
This Thursday, Frank is our host, and the challenge is to use a polyptoton somewhere in our poems. A polyptoton is a rhetorical device used for style and persuasiveness; it’s a special kind of repetition where the common base of a word is repeated, but not the whole word exactly.
I like how you emphasized the cyclical ticking of time. I especially liked these lines: “Hours turn
but always circle back.” It seemed ominous with the clock shocking for more timeliness.
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I think time can be both ominous and a gift … such complexity!
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The cycle of hours that spirals away makes infinity believable
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I like the ambiguous title, Phillip, and the way you play with time throughout your poem. I like the thought of winking at infinity, and the final stanza sums it all up so well.
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Thanks so much, Kim!
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Tic, Toc, your words are superbly in time….
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Excellent use of time as a poltoton. Time ticks on….
I like the idea of comparing the well marked lines on the clock (which sounds linear) to the circling back to the hour…as in the hands always circle round. Time as an infinite circle…hmmmmmm
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Hmmmmm indeed
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Infinity is considered a loop, and your thoughtful look at Time is a grand feast. So many theories out there, like time is linear until it meets itself, or beyond the veil there is just Now, time does not exist, past/present/future all one.
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Fun wordplay as a Time Lord.
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A timely timeless piece!
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Thanks, Beverly!
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Excellent work.
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Thanks again 🙂
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Welcome.
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Interestingi approach to the polyptoton here Phillip — I enjoyed this, 🙂
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Thanks, Rob! Glad you liked it 🙂
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A wonderful poem bound up in time yet timeless!
This is really great:
And the clock shouts, begging for timeliness
while eternity ticks
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Thanks so much!
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You are welcome!
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marvelous work!
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Thanks so much 🙂
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The clock is a poor substitute for time. You’ve used the variations of time seamlessly too. (K)
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Thanks 🙂
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The device serves you perfectly here, turning the glass of time before our eyes.
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Thanks so much!
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Lovely writing.
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Thanks, Rosemary!
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Beautiful.
http://www.rsrue.blogspot.com
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I love the idea of winking at eternity. A wonderful write Phillip!
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Thanks so much, Carrie!
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I love this, Phillip. I resonate with how, when we look back, different eras sort of merge blurrily……..I can feel eternity, ticking on. A wonderful poem!
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Thanks so much, Sherry!
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