Inside a Clock
I peered inside a clock
and wish I hadn’t.
Taken apart it was emptied out
on a counter for repair,
the owner claiming it ran slow,
a minute later ticking too rapid
to circle the periphery of day.
The reverse order of what
a stopped clock is is also true,
complete refusal of a second split
in two. The screws were too profuse
but tools were at hand. More than
time was on the table. Anyone
watching the jeweler work creation
back piece by piece could detect it.
R. S. Stewart taught English at Christopher Newport University of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where he also founded the college theatre, directing ten plays during the first two seasons. Among many others, Canary, Poetry Salzburg Review, 2 Bridges Review, The Same, Serving House Journal, the Avatar Review, and The Journal have published his poems.