time and the river

"Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice, because  
the flow that has passed will never pass again..." —Edith Besha  
   
i.    
i watch each second drift from me,  
just as the river flows to sea:  
i cannot hold it steadfast in my grasp.  
the water clings not to the rock,  
nor time recesses on the clock,  
their present tense as fleeting as a gasp.  
   
ii.    
procrastination is the curse  
that blots the human universe:  
time dozes not, nor rivers take a nap.  
the moment we must deftly seize:  
the future flows not as we please—  
time and the river leave no vacant gap.  
   
iii.    
when there are no more clocks to tick,  
once-robust rivers no more quick,  
and time stands frozen in its destiny;  
may i have lived my moments well,  
as rivers hopeful oceans swell,  
that i may joy for all eternity.  
   
© Copyright 2023 August 24  
by Clyve A. Bowen♫