A Cuckoo clock Christmas

I brought you a present
‘Twas an old cuckoo clock
From a second hand store in the city
On its top was a pheasant
And it said “Tick-a-Tock”
So I thought you would think it looked pretty
It had pendants and chimes,
An old man and his wife
That hourly came to do chores
They would go through their mimes
As if that was their life
And I smilingly thought “Mine and Yours”
She would churn up the butter,
He’d be chopping the wood
‘Twas a wonder they both had the breath
And the pheasant would stutter
“Tick-a-Tock”, as it would
While they worked themselves half to their death
You and I, in our lives,
Have been like those two peasants
Reliably being on time
Now the day, it arrives,
That is meant to give presents,
And so I have spent my last dime.
Homeward I travel
Just thinking of you
But there’s only a handwritten note
I try to unravel
To find but a clue
In the words that you hastily wrote
There was no premonition
‘Nor change in condition
To explain why you’d broken your vow
A clockwork cuckoo
And a dusty brown shoe
Are all I have left of you now
Categories
Lee Dunn View All
Lee Dunn has been writing since the age of 18, but found that work got in the way for the ensuing 48 years. In his home town of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, he reveled in his independence at an early age, and spent as much time as he could exploring the city’s Arts scene. He was introduced to poetry and prose by the works of two literary giants, namely J.R.R. Tolkien and J.W. Lennon and thence fell in love with the written word. His work includes poetry, short fiction, and personal essays, and ranges in theme from the surreal to the horrific, nostalgic, and themes on the human condition. He has been published on Spillwords.com, The Dark Poets Club, Journal of Undiscovered Poets, Crepe & Penn Literary magazine, and the Shelburne Free Press.
A little choke, so beautifully desolate.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Deep and poignant words written, Lee.
LikeLike
So sad, but so beautifully written. 😦 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, no… Thank you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person