71 Clock Poems to Learn to Cherish Time
Clocks have been an integral part of our lives since ancient times, reminding us of the precious value of time.
Clock poems capture this essence and emphasize the importance of making the most of every moment.
They can inspire us to cherish and appreciate the time, reminding us that life is fleeting and every second counts.
Whether it’s a funny or an inspirational poem, the message is clear: Time waits for no one.
In this article, we have curated a collection of poems on clock that will inspire you to make the most of every moment, reminding you that each tick of the clock is an opportunity to create memories and accomplish great things.
Famous Clock Poems
Many poets have penned beautiful and thought-provoking famous poems about clock, exploring the nature of time and its impact on our lives.
1. My Alarm Clock
by Amos Russel Wells
There’s a little dumpy sergeant that calls me to the fray,
Arousing me from slumber at five o’clock each day.
At five o’clock precisely he hammers at my door,
And breaks in forty pieces my most delightful snore.
This little dumpy sergeant, so prompt and so precise,
He calls me once with vigor, but he never calls me twice.
If I choose not to hear him and shut my eyes again,
Why, I may wake myself up at—nine o’clock or ten.
There’s another little sergeant, who hammers on my heart;
Who pommels me so briskly he makes me sting and smart.
While I lie down in darkness and shut my eyes to sin,
This little sergeant, Conscience, awakes me with his din.
But ah, this little sergeant, so prompt and so precise,
He also seldom calls me but once or twice or thrice.
“Wake up!” he cries, “arouse you, or sleep forevermore!”
Ah, heed the little sergeant while he is at the door!
2. The Dumb Old Clock
by Mary Stevenson
The old clock stands at the head of the stairs,
Rickety, crazy and dumb;
It has served its time for an age that is past,
Yes, an age that is dumb and dead.
For years it has chimed out the hours of time,
As it stood in the quaint old room;
Reminding its hearers, in mournful tone,
Of the dreadful day of doom.
It has gazed on that circle that used to collect,
In winter when evenings were long;
Around the old cookstove, so rusty and cracked,
It has heard those sweet anthems of song.
It has looked on them all, but where are they now,
Each form that there used to be found;
Ah, ask of old time, he has tucked them away,
In a cold narrow bed ‘neath the ground
When the last closed her eyes in the long sleep of death,
The old clock grew moody and dumb;
Nor could threats or entreaties e’er rouse it again,
But silent it stood in its gloom.
Then why should the old clock go plodding along,
Since the friends of its youth are no more;
In the land of the stranger it knows not the song,
Let it hang up its harp on the shore.
And we’ll cherish it still for the good it has done,
In its services year after year;
And put it away, tho’ now it won’t run,
It is yet to my heart no less dear.
And when tired and weary I long to forget,
The present with sorrow and care;
Then in silence I’ll visit, and there sit and think,
By the clock at the head of the stair.
3. The Old House Clock
by Anonymous
Oh! the old, old clock of the household stock,
Was the brightest thing, and neatest;
Its hands, though old, had a touch of gold,
And its chimes rang still the sweetest;
‘T was a monitor, too, though its words were few,
Yet they lived, though nations altered;
And its voice, still strong, warned old and young,
When the voice of friendship faltered:
“Tick! tick!” it said, “quick, quick, to bed:
For ten I’ve given warning;
Up! up! and go, or else you know,
You’ll never rise soon in the morning!”
A friendly voice was that old, old clock,
As it stood in the corner smiling,
And blessed the time with merry chime,
The wintry hours beguiling;
But a cross old voice was that tiresome clock,
As it called at daybreak boldly;
When the dawn looked gray o’er the misty way,
And the early air looked coldly:
“Tick! tick!” it said, “quick out of bed:
For five I’ve given warning;
You’ll never have health, you’ll never have wealth,
Unless you’re up soon in the morning!”
Still hourly the sound goes round and round,
With a tone that ceases never:
While tears are shed for bright days fled,
And the old friends lost forever!
Its heart beats on, though hearts are gone
That beat like ours, though stronger;
Its hands still move, though hands we love
Are clasped on earth no longer!
“Tick! tick!” it said, “to the churchyard bed,
The grave hath given warning;
Up! up! and rise, and look at the skies,
And prepare for a heavenly morning!”
4. Grandfather’s Clock
by Henry C. Work
My grandfather’s clock was too tall 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 ne’er 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.
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.
5. The Sundial, Conscientious Objector
by Amos Russel Wells
The Sundial said to the Daylight-Saving Clock:
“I stand for Truth as steady as a rock.
Nothing but the Truth do I dare to testify;
Men may bid me cheat, but I will—not—lie.
Lying is a mortal sin, cheating is a crime;
I alone of all the world keep the proper time.”
The Daylight-Saving Clock to the Sundial said:
“When the sun goes down you are dead, dead, dead.
Tied like a log to this rolling ball,
Only half of time do you tell at all.
I testify to the Truth of Health,
Speak the Truth of Happiness, tell the Truth of Wealth.
Yours is the Truth of a dull routine,
Just the Truth of Matter, of the Sun Machine.
Your literal Truth is crudely wrought;
Mine is the Truth of the Higher Thought.”
But the Sundial still, in a manner proudly wise,
Sticks to the Truth in a World of Lies.
6. Clock!
by Elan Eden
With ghastly cries the clock doth bound
Every sound to earth and ground
Only it sees times grim rounds
Clock! Have mercy on this soul
Once a child now I’m old
The grave outside will soon have bones
Let death not vist to this home
Clock! Go to time and plead my case
Let this life be not erased
Let me slip through times cracks untraced
Let me keep my youths young face
Clock! You tick without a word
Do you not comprehend whats heard?
And earth! For time you must have cure
For you stay pure and so unturned
And I grew weak with thoughts absurd
Clock! I understand your chains
That time may only have reins
But still I’ll look to find a way
To cheat on time and shed my fate
With ghastly cries the clock doth bound
Every sound to earth and ground
7. The Kitchen Clock
by Anonymous
Listen to the kitchen clock!
To itself it ever talks,
From its place it never walks;
“Tick-tock-tick-tock:”
Tell me what it says.
“I’m a very patient clock,
Never moved by hope or fear,
Though I’ve stood for many a year;
Tick-tock-tick-tock:”
That is what it says.
“I’m a very truthful clock:
People say about the place,
Truth is written on my face;
Tick-tock-tick-tock:”
That is what it says.
“I’m a most obliging clock;
If you wish to hear me strike,
You may do it when you like;
Tick-tock-tick-tock:”
That is what it says.
“I’m a very friendly clock;
For this truth to all I tell,
Life is short, improve it well;
Tick-tock-tick-tock:”
That is what it says.
What a talkative old clock!
Let us see what it will do
When the hour hand reaches two;
“Ding-ding—tick-tock:”
That is what it says.
8. The Happy Little Clock
by Annette Wynne
In my garret room, I’m never quite alone,
I have a small companion all my own,
A cunning round-faced merry little elf,
My little China clock upon the shelf.
It’s tick, tick, ticking all the day,
How I love its cheery steady little way,
It keeps my garret room
Free from sprites of fear and gloom,
The happy little clock upon the shelf.
It calls me every morning to my work,
In rain or shine it never tries to shirk;
The cozy little, honest little elf,
The busy little clock upon the shelf;
O it’s tick, tick, ticking day and night,
It ticks its “honest best” with all its might;
I shall never lack a friend
When my daytime labors end
With my little China clock upon the shelf.
9. The King of the Great Clock Tower
by William Butler Yeats
Saddle and ride, I heard a man say,
Out of Ben Bulben and Knocknarea,
What says the Clock in the Great Clock Tower?
All those tragic characters ride
But turn from Rosses’ crawling tide,
The meet’s upon the mountain-side.
A slow low note and an iron bell.
What brought them there so far from their home.
Cuchulain that fought night long with the foam,
What says the Clock in the Great Clock Tower?
Niamh that rode on it; lad and lass
That sat so still and played at the chess?
What but heroic wantonness?
A slow low note and an iron bell.
Aleel, his Countess; Hanrahan
That seemed but a wild wenching man;
What says the Clock in the Great Clock Tower?
And all alone comes riding there
The King that could make his people stare,
Because he had feathers instead of hair.
A slow low note and an iron bell.
10. Ascension
by Alexander Shaumyan
I saw you in a dream
As you ascended
These steps of freedom
Leading you from here,
Where all the souls
Are drowning in fear,
Confined by limitations
Of the clock–
As time keeps slipping by–
Tick tock, tick tock–
Foreboding their end
That’s drawing near…
But there are no clocks
Where we are rising–
There is the brightest
Sun on the horizon,
That lifts us up
To otherworldly heights–
As we ascend to higher
Understanding–
These earthly chains
That bind us
Notwithstanding–
We boldly go up
Into the light.
11. The Old Clock
by John Charles McNeill
All day low clouds and slanting rain
Have swept the woods and dimmed the plain.
Wet winds have swayed the birch and oak,
And caught and swirled away the smoke,
But, all day long, the wooden clock
Went on, Nic-noc, nic-noc.
When deep at night I wake with fear,
And shudder in the dark to hear
The roaring storm’s unguided strength,
Peace steals into my heart at length,
When, calm amid the shout and shock,
I hear, Nic-noc, nic-noc.
And all the winter long ‘t is I
Who bless its sheer monotony—
Its scorn of days, which cares no whit
For time, except to measure it:
The prosy, dozy, cosy clock,
Nic-noc, nic-noc, nic-noc!
Funny Clock Poems
While clocks are serious, there’s no harm in taking a lighthearted approach to the subject. Funny poems about clock can bring a smile to your face while still delivering a message about the importance of time.
1. Clock
by Jacob Reinhardt
Clock!
You sculpt the clay of my life
With your rigid hands,
Shouting your high commands through morning alarms.
Accusations fly
As you collect your daily payment of attention.
When I find myself savoring life’s sweetness,
You sprint behind my back.
And when pain drops my heart from my chest,
You linger, rubbernecking from the wall.
You enclose the whole of my life
In that circular frame,
Ever spinning in your infinite math,
Drunk with power!
Clock!
I can take no more of your tyranny!
I can afford no more of your triple A battery lunches-
I am afraid you’ve run out of time.
So keep your hands out of my business, I’m sleeping in today.
2. Daddy’s Mantel Clock
by John Posey
Daddy had a mantel clock on that shelf above the fire.
I remember how it sometimes seemed to call my Sis a liar.
Sis would be out on a date and the wheels of time would turn
My dad, it seemed would always be awake when she returned.
Now Daddy was quite strict on Sis – at nine she must be in.
And she was in real trouble if it was as late as ten.
“Darlin’, what’s the time?” he’d yell as she slipped in..
“Daddy, it’s about nine,” she’d shout, as that old clock struck ten.
3. Crazy Clock
by Dr. Jim Martin
The clock was wound too tight.
It wouldn’t keep time right.
It would backwards run,
Creating more than fun,
It really was quite a sight.
4. Clock and Hoes
by Diet Water
I’m a farmer
and i like clocks and hoes
get your mind out of the gutter
i’m not talking about those
i use my hoes to get what a need
whether it’s a new car or a fancy tv
i was short on money
so i put my hoes out for rent
but then i had to stop when a
couple came back bent
stop bending my hoes i said
then he threw a rock
so i went out there and i beat him with a clock
then he asked me what time is it
then i said it’s time to leave
and when he got up he got stung by a bee
and then he flipped out and ran into a tree
then i grabbed one of my hoes and said
i’m glad it ain’t me.
5. Rock Around the Clock
by Jack Ellison
Bill Haley sang Rock Around The Clock
In gay abandon back and forth kids did rock
Some lost their composure
Showed too much exposure
Gendarmes made them put on their socks
6. Hickory Dickory Mouse on Clock
by Yvonne De Carlosa
Hickory, dickory dock
mouse ran away with my sock
now they don’t match
can you do catch?
now there’s two more mice on clock.
7. The Clock of Life
by Rosanna LLamera
Tic, tac the clock said.
Tic, tac, tic, tac the sound of it.
Waiting for midnight to come,,,
Like waiting for someone important.
Tic, tac, tic, tac the clock said.
Waiting for the new day to come….
To someone especial being left behind.
Tic, tac the clock said.
Hoping a new beginning to come.
Tic, tac, tic, tac the clock said.
Children and adults tease,
For the clock of life is being tease behind!!!
8. My Clock Is Broken
by Kimmy Holmes
Why in the HELL can I not get up in the morning?
and why would anyone want to?
put aside the dramatic sunrise
and what do you have?
A headache from too much fun
20 minutes to get ready for work
oh, and then there’s WORK
and Republicans driving 40 in a 65
You ever notice how slow republicans drive?
I am not a morning person
I like tacos at 3am
the quiet is mine
the sky much more interesting
You ever notice how much better you look at nite?
9. Clock Poetry
by Davin Math
Time ticks and could trick
Could go places unnoticed
It can kick and trip
10. Had Heard My Clock Chiming
by James Horn
Had Heard My Clock Chiming
So wrote this limerick that is rhyming
In time are many grains of sand
And if you have a small hand
Hard to set clock and its timing.
My old clock soon stopped ticking
And out new one started picking
Hour earlier it happened to be
Daylight Savings Time did see
Or maybe again it was sticking.
11. Grandfather Clock
by PAT Adams
A grandfather clock sure is grand
Chime the time, on an antique stand
But if late you get
There’s one sure bet
That old clock won’t give you a hand!
Inspirational Clock Poems
Time can be a powerful motivator. In this section, we’ll explore some of the most inspirational poems about clock that will motivate you to seize the day and make the most of your time.
1. The Clock
by Charlotte
Why is it that we are always wanting time to pass quickly?
We’re constantly watching the clock, waiting for the minutes to fly by
But we never look at what it really represents
At how every minute that passes
Is a minute of your life that won’t ever come back
Can’t ever be recovered
As it is lost in the hands of a clock that is forever ticking
Counting down every second
Every minute
Every hour of the rest of our lives.
Each time we look at a clock
Watching the hands slowly tick by
We never do realise the meaning of what it is actually counting down to.
For it isn’t really counting that one meeting you don’t want to go to
Or that single maths period that feels like it will never end.
No.
That clock is actually counting down towards the final moments of the best times of our lives
The ones that we take advantage of without even realising it
Whether it’s our years in school,
Or the last few years of our childhood.
The final few days you have left to spend with a loved one,
Or the true bliss of your first real relationship.
You see, through the good times and the bad
The smiles, the tears and the laughs
The times that you never really want to end,
And the ones you wish were over in a heartbeat;
This clock will be forever in the back of your mind
Counting down the hours, minutes, seconds
Towards the end.
And it’s only then that you realise
That you wish to turn it back and start again.
But you don’t know how
And those last few hours that you have left
Won’t be spent looking at a clock.
But instead will be used to look over every single moment of your life
From the beginning to the end.
And it’s only then, that the clock will finally stop ticking.
2. Second by Second
by Don Moore
Tick tock flick of the clock
Nurses come and nurses go
Tick tock flick of the clock
Needles in and needles out
Tick tock flick of the clock
Sun slips across the window pane
Tick tock flick of the clock
Life is down to ***, poo and pain
Tick tock flick of the clock
Deep down inside I am waiting
Tick tock flick of the clock
People talking, warm hands holding
Tick tock flick of the clock
Rhythmic pumping help me breath
Tick tock flick of the clock
Softly quiet, no pain just waiting for the end
Tick tock flick of the clock
Misty hazel eyes, whispered words gently pleading
Tick tock flick of the clock
So dragging back from fading lights
Tick tock flick of the clock
Warm hands holding, wife forever caring
Tick tock flick of the clock
Open eyes and live again
Tick tock flick of the clock
So love always won and the dark has gone away.
3. Waiting for
by Andrew John
It’s like waiting for God,
oh so much. Yet why,
oh why so long?
Clocks move so slowly as I watch,
yes, watch my wrist, too, oh so long,
so long the clock, the watch,
the clock, the watch.
Yet strangely, irritably,
the time – the time that
seemed so long – has gone,
gone so swiftly,
passed into the past.
Time that was pre-noon,
is now post-noon; aye, now,
for morning has shifted, never to be
seen, smelt, heard, felt.
Gone, for now once more
becomes then; aye, then.
But there will be another.
Oh God, oh yes.
Oh God, oh indeed.
4. John Curzon’s Watch
by Amos Russel Wells
Have you heard of John Curzon, of Poland?
A wonderful artisan, he!
A watchmaker equalled in no land,
As you, I am sure, will agree.
For the Czar of the Russias, to try him,
Commanded a watch for his fob,
And bade that his envoy supply him
With all he might use in the job.
So the messenger brought some wood chippings,
Some glass that was smashed in a fall,
Copper nails and some bits of wire clippings,
And a cracked china cup; that was all!
John Curzon, this rubbish receiving,
Contrived, with no other to aid,—
it is true, though it seems past believing,—
A watch that was perfectly made!
The case—it was formed of the china.
The works were patched up from the rest.
it was worthy a rez or rigina;
And Curzon had won in the test!
So, my lad, with no money and no land,
And Fate as severe as the Czar,
Just think you are Curzon of Poland,
And conquer—from things as they are!
5. Winding the Clock
by Edgar A. Guest
When I was but a little lad, my old Grandfather said
That none should wind the clock but he, and so, at time for bed,
He’d fumble for the curious key kept high upon the shelf
And set aside that little task entirely for himself.
In time Grandfather passed away, and so that duty fell
Unto my Father, who performed the weekly custom well;
He held that clocks were not to be by careless persons wound,
And he alone should turn the key or move the hands around.
I envied him that little task, and wished that I might be
The one to be entrusted with the turning of the key;
But year by year the clock was his exclusive bit of care
Until the day the angels came and smoothed his silver hair.
To-day the task is mine to do, like those who’ve gone before
I am a jealous guardian of that round and glassy door,
And ’til at my chamber door God’s messenger shall knock
To me alone shall be reserved the right to wind the clock
6. Ticking in the Darkness
by Midnight Waterlily
Ticking in the Darkness
A clock ticking in the darkness,
softly, like raindrops tolling,
rolling on and on in the stillness,
the breath of time’s lullaby.
Pattering across the veil of night,
smoothly through like rain drizzling,
across spanned umbrellas of white,
weaving through wandering dreams.
A clock ticking in the darkness,
like the breathing of time’s flowing,
or the breathing of the wispy clouds
that drift above as I softly dream.
7. A Clock Stopped — not the Mantel’s
by Emily Dickinson
A clock stopped — not the mantel’s;
Geneva’s farthest skill
Can’t put the puppet bowing
That just now dangled still.
An awe came on the trinket!
The figures hunched with pain,
Then quivered out of decimals
Into degreeless noon.
It will not stir for doctors,
This pendulum of snow;
The shopman importunes it,
While cool, concernless No
Nods from the gilded pointers,
Nods from the seconds slim,
Decades of arrogance between
The dial life and him.
Short Clock Poems
These poems can be easily memorized and recited, making them a great tool for reflection and meditation. In this section, we’ll share some short poetries about clock that will leave a lasting impression on you.
1. Ode to Snail Cloc
by Caren Krutsinger
The snail clock was over the top
Hikers and dog walkers came to a stop
Ivy on the vine added ambiance fine
Best of all this clock keeps accurate time
2. Clock
by Ms Levinson
Clock is sea animals
Clock is a mock
Clock is a rock
Clock get you up
Clock get you dow
3. ‘T was Later When the Summer Went
by Emily Dickinson
‘T was later when the summer went
Than when the cricket came,
And yet we knew that gentle clock
Meant nought but going home.
‘T was sooner when the cricket went
Than when the winter came,
Yet that pathetic pendulum
Keeps esoteric time.
4. So long
by Cornelis Burdein
As long as the clock beckons her numbers
Or steadily wheeling her rounds
Sometimes familiar her sounds of copper clatter
And her call gives us a look of our eyes
Is it the man who hopes with heart
That life doesn’t fade too quickly.
5. Cheat Time
by Aneta Stefkov
I will kiss You
with hope…
that this KISS OF LOVE
will Stop Time
fix clock…
and my destination
my Life will forget
about Death
and Our Love
will Save Us…
… We will CHEAT TIME
and Love forever…
6. Clock in Clock Out
by Dan Shay
clock in
clock out
beat off
get drunk
get high
quick
my jacket
with a bag
in the pocket
where is it
I love
drinking money
clock in
clock out
get out of it
7. Clockwork in the Ether
by Caren Krutsinger
Clockwork in the ether,
Prancing through the mind of the universe
No one stops or hesitates
It happens automatically
Without any ticking or fanfare
Clockwork in the ether
Parading from one reality to the next
Taking notice of no one
Time happening in an imaginary way
We dream on, seeing it but not understanding
8. Moments Slipping
by Iffat Yasmin
Clock is ticking
Moments slipping
Time accelerating
To do list growing
Body is slowing
Money begging
To buy little time
9. Fifties Fusion
by Joan Rooney
Tick tock, tick tock
rock rock round the clock
sock hop, sock hop
and never, never stop
’til midnight’s on top
rock rock round the clock.
Long Clock Poems
Long poetry about the clock can take us on a journey through time, exploring its many facets and impact on our lives. In this section, we’ll share some of the most captivating poems about clock.
1. To My Watch
by Hannah Flagg Gould
Say, what busy tenant inhabits thy breast,
Affording thy hands not a moment of rest,
While prompting thy voice to the ceaseless “tick, tick,”
As if thou wert ever repeating “quick, quick,”
And gives thee no time, while thy work thus pursuing,
To tell what so quick must be done, or is doing?
“The same little genius so busy with me
Is he, who is constantly watching by thee;
Whose task was assigned at thine earliest breath,
Thy minutes to count, till he leaves thee in death.
Art thou busy or idle, awake or in slumber,
He still keeps his vigils, still adds to the number.
“I pause not to name thee thy work, it is true,
For I know not the things thou may’st yet have to do,
But the watch-word I give is to make thee take heed
How time ever flies, and how matchless its speed:
Thou may’st read in my face how thy minutes are wasting,
And thou to that bourne, where they end, art still hasting.
“For my diligent hands no repose will I ask:
They, ever employed, just accomplish their task;
Yet, I know they will rest, when to motionless clay
That hand shall be changed that hath wound me to-day;
For my pulse will be stopped, and my voice cease repeating
My one, only word, when thy heart stills its beating.
“When low in the earth my loved mistress shall sleep,
Thy watch will be given to another to keep,
I shall rouse from my slumbers my work to resume,
While, silent and cold, lies thy dust in the tomb,
Far from time and from me, when thy spirit is proving
What here it performed, while my finger was moving.”
2. The Old Clock on the Stairs
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Somewhat back from the village street
Stands the old-fashioned country-seat.
Across its antique portico
Tall poplar-trees their shadows throw;
And from its station in the hall
An ancient timepiece says to all, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
Half-way up the stairs it stands,
And points and beckons with its hands
From its case of massive oak,
Like a monk, who, under his cloak,
Crosses himself, and sighs, alas!
With sorrowful voice to all who pass, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
By day its voice is low and light;
But in the silent dead of night,
Distinct as a passing footstep’s fall,
It echoes along the vacant hall,
Along the ceiling, along the floor,
And seems to say, at each chamber-door, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
Through days of sorrow and of mirth,
Through days of death and days of birth,
Through every swift vicissitude
Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood,
And as if, like God, it all things saw,
It calmly repeats those words of awe, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
In that mansion used to be
Free-hearted Hospitality;
His great fires up the chimney roared;
The stranger feasted at his board;
But, like the skeleton at the feast,
That warning timepiece never ceased, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
There groups of merry children played,
There youths and maidens dreaming strayed;
O precious hours! O golden prime,
And affluence of love and time!
Even as a miser counts his gold,
Those hours the ancient timepiece told, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
From that chamber, clothed in white,
The bride came forth on her wedding night;
There, in that silent room below,
The dead lay in his shroud of snow;
And in the hush that followed the prayer,
Was heard the old clock on the stair, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
All are scattered now and fled,
Some are married, some are dead;
And when I ask, with throbs of pain,
“Ah! when shall they all meet again?”
As in the days long since gone by,
The ancient timepiece makes reply, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
Never here, forever there,
Where all parting, pain, and care,
And death, and time shall disappear, —
Forever there, but never here!
The horologe of Eternity
Sayeth this incessantly, —
“Forever — never!
Never — forever!”
3. The Mantle Clock
by David Lewis
I found I was left a mantle clock
The type that you wind by key,
It had stood upon my father’s shelf,
Now it came down to me.
Inside the clock I had found a note
Scrawled in my father’s hand,
‘You never must overwind the clock
For time is a shifting sand.’
That’s all that it said, that tiny note
And I’d wondered what he meant,
Surely he could have talked to me
And made it more evident.
But my father had been secretive
And never would say too much,
Just that his life had raced away
And left him behind, and such.
The end of his life had come too soon,
It certainly was a shock,
I found him sat alone in his chair
And pointing up at the clock,
It wasn’t until the afternoon
I noticed the clock had stopped,
Just as his heart had ceased to beat,
There wasn’t a tick, or tock.
I took it home and I placed it up
In pride of place on the shelf,
Over the wooden mantlepiece
And wound the thing up myself.
I just didn’t know how many times
I was meant to turn the key,
So probably over wound it then,
Not knowing what was to be.
Over the following week I found
The clock had been gaining time,
And thought, that’s probably what he meant,
Never to over wind,
I tried to adjust it back a bit
To change the rate of the pawl,
But found the cog was racing away
And speeding up overall.
No matter what I did to that clock
Its speed just wouldn’t be tamed,
I’d slow it down and it speeded up,
I felt I was being gamed,
But then I woke on a Wednesday and
I thought there was something strange,
The man on the news said ‘Thursday’,
Like the days had been rearranged.
The weeks and the months went flying by,
I still kept winding that clock,
Remembering how my father died,
I wouldn’t have dared to stop.
But then one day I forgot to wind
And it slowed, and took me aback,
I held the key, was about to wind
When I had my heart attack.
Luckily Joyce was in the room
Thank god for my lovely wife,
She seized the key and she wound it up
And probably saved my life.
I never forget to wind it now
That clock’s in sync with my heart,
But now my life is racing away
With the clock still playing its part.
4. The Two Clocks
by Lewis Carroll
Which is better, a clock that is right only once a year, or a clock that is right twice every day?
“The latter,” you reply, “unquestionably.” Very good, now attend.
I have two clocks: one doesn’t go at all, and the other loses a minute a day: which would you prefer? “The losing one,” you answer, “without a doubt.”
Now observe: the one which loses a minute a day has to lose twelve hours, or seven hundred and twenty minutes before it is right again, consequently it is only right once in two years, whereas the other is evidently right as often as the time it points to comes round, which happens twice a day.
So you’ve contradicted yourself once.
“Ah, but,” you say, “what’s the use of its being right twice a day, if I ca’n’t tell when the time comes?”
Why, suppose the clock points to eight o’clock, don’t you see that the clock is right at eight o’clock? Consequently, when eight o’clock comes round your clock is right.
“Yes, I see that,” you reply.
Very good, then you’ve contradicted yourself twice: now get out of the difficulty as best you can, and don’t contradict yourself again if you can help it.
You might go on to ask, “How am I to know when eight o’clock does come? My clock will not tell me.” Be patient: you know that when eight o’clock comes your clock is right, very good; then your rule is this: keep your eye fixed on your clock, and the very moment it is right it will be eight o’clock.
“But–,” you say.
There, that’ll do; the more you argue the further you get from the point, so it will be as well to stop.
5. Time Ticks Away
by Sonny Day
It’s 3am,
or so the clock says
Maybe it’s just crazy like me
For a girl’s heart
that it wants in
But it’s not sure it has the key
Its mind is preoccupied
with other things now
And it can’t seem to function quite right
It tries to sleep
as time gets lost
But it simply ticks through the night
So maybe it’s not
as late as it says
And time still needs to be found
Maybe the clock
gave that girl its key
And the clock still needs to be wound
If the clock finds its key
it finds time and love
a function and a purpose
Reunited with her
its heart can tick true,
a shine gleaming from its surface
But sadly, I know
this is all believe
For a clock could have no heart
Which sadly means
the clock is fine
And I’m the one falling apart
Perhaps the clock
can serenade me
And help me rest my eyes
Maybe the clock
can distract my heart
From its desperate beating tries
But in the end I know
the clock’s soft ticks
Can’t outweigh thoughts that keep me awake
It’s just too much to love
such a precious Jewel
When you’ll never have what it takes
6. Wall Clock
by Jeuden Totanes
I grab the wooden chair
and pulled it
through rooms
and up the stairs
I kicked the door open
A cold wind blew
the sketches of you
rose to the air
and settled down together
beside my lonely bed
And so I pulled
the chair, and brought it
to the wall
I hesitated for a moment
and heaved out a sigh
I brought up a foot
and forced myself up
until my nose
almost brushed the wall clock
My warm breath
made the clock’s glass clouded
Two hands grasped the clock
Two feet managed to stay firm
as I stood on the chair
and dismounted the wall clock
Finally, I sat down
on the chair
on the old wooden chair
and my fingers
found its way
at the clock’s back
I twisted, and twisted
and twisted
I closed my eyes
and opened them
to see the clock’s hands
revolving counterclockwise
for a second i just stared
and stared
and stared
then closed my eyes
and opened them again
to stare..
My fingers suddenly became tired
and the clock’s hands seemed to stop
Tears
fell on its glass
they rolled
and found their way
towards
number 6
the day you left me
the day it ended
the day you died.
7. Broken Seconds
by Kassan J Kassim
By the time any read this
time to me would have again fade.
Like a disappearing act
a lot to me goes to waste
As I too waste much of my time.
I’m like a broken seconds hand
while the other two move forward in time
Circling round me in this endless cycle,
always feeling left behind.
Friends are ahead in life
bright smiles and cheers
I’m left in the dark
broken somehow, but I don’t know what.
Wishing I could trade in some smiles over these tears.
Another cycle in life
goes round my broken clock
It ticks away, but fails to tock,
as it’s cogs are rusty and antique
Rubbing only more strain to another,
pieces that once had a gleam, no longer blick.
I break so many times
but try not to stay broken
I felt weak as a youth
Low and down with the soil,
it scared me that will one day be my end,
When I get too old.
What if the parts of my clock
can’t be fixed
Will I just be broken seconds
lost in time, or lost in my self destruction
Why hurt yourself so many times
just to see if you’re still working?
I’m only trying to work on myself,
to fix the tiny pieces slipping through the cracks
Even when I crack a smile,
there’s a bigger crack behind it.
It ticks away, cracks into tiny tocks,
I pray to be fixed,
and put back together from my broken parts.
Clock Poems That Rhyme
Poems about clock with rhyming words can make the message more memorable and enjoyable to recite, making them a great tool for teaching children about the importance of time.
1. Astronaut Clock with a Willie Weddie Wee
by Caren Krutsinger
Astronaut clock with a willie weddie wee
Your moon landing knocked the punch out of me
I was holding my breath when I saw you on TV
If you think I was bad, you should have seen my brother Lee.
We were yelling and cheering when you took your first step.
With a hey robo, hey robo we were shaking streamers as others crept.
We are so glad to have you now sitting here in our room.
Please tell all of us the tale. We are about to put you on Zoom.
2. The Old Clock
by Anonymous
In the old, old hall the old clock stands,
And round and round move the steady hands;
With its tick, tick, tick, both night and day,
While seconds and minutes pass away.
At the old, old clock oft wonders
Nell, For she can’t make out what it has to tell;
She has ne’er yet read, in prose or rhyme,
That it marks the silent course of time.
When I was a child, as Nell is now,
And long ere Time had wrinkled my brow,
The old, old clock both by night and day
Said,—”Tick, tick, tick!” Time passes away.
3. My Runaway Yellow Limed Clock
by Caren Krutsinger
My clock ran away taking the time
There was no warning, just up and went.
I’d give a nickel, maybe a dime.
To keep track of the weeks I’ve spent
Feeling curiously bamboozled and stymied
By that traitorous clock sorely bent
If you see her, her face is yellow limed.
Tell her good-bye, I have moved to Kent.
4. Run Mailman Run
by Caren Krutsinger
The cuckoo clock was designed by Uncle Zeb, a mailman.
He worked on it all of his life, as hard an any craftsman can.
It never worked well until the day after he died.
When a small cuckoo mailman bird flew out from inside.
Instead of cuckoo it said “run mailman run!
Those little yippy dogs are no kinds of fun!
Pray for a good day with a plethora of sun.
Run mailman, run, run, run, run!”
5. Can’t be Wrong All the Time
by Anoma Lee
Broken clock stuck on 12, told a time that wasn’t true.
The hours didn’t change so its face would lie to you.
Though its arms never moved, it wasn’t wrong in every way.
‘Cause even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day.
6. Internal Clock
by Renee Kelly
The light wiggles its way into my eyes
Yawning and stretching I begin to rise
“Surely it must be late morn” I think
While stumbling and struggling to blink
I don my glasses just so I can see
“It’s 6 am. Are you kidding me?”
7. Taurus the Fool
by Anonymous
Told me with instruction
I was the king
But it was only destruction
To my people I’d bring
–
Like cattle to slaughter
Leading from my dirty throne
Treating them as cannon fodder
Now I sit all alone
–
On the clock, I tried to steer
The reigns I just couldn’t pull
Now with celery stock, I sit here
A foolish Bull
8. The Alarm Clock
by Panagiota Romios
Alarm clock, how I loathe thee!
How dare you wake me?
Dancing in Carnival in Brazil!
The lead Sambista,too, after all,
Covered with sequins and frills,
And I was to receive an award.
I want to throw you forward!
You are a monster in my life.
Waking me always to days of strife!
So off you go to a second hand
store……
Stop fussing in the bag now, you
obnoxious bore!
Clock Poems for Children
Clock poems for kids can help them understand the value of time and the importance of making the most of every moment. In this section, we’ll share some of the best clock poems for children!
1. Night and Day
by Laurie Grommett
An aging clock with pine wood joints
approaches midnight’s moon
when seas apart
the gnomon points
to early afternoon.
Between the two a lady floats
in moody, brooding flights
until sweet
cinderella notes
find charming prince in lights.
2. Feels Like a Race
by Line Monique Gauthier
Feels Like a Race
tic toc the clock
daytime turns to night
years pass in a flash
tic toc tic toc the clock
3. The Prized Tik-Tok
by Eimonison
Showing hand signs but doesn’t talk,
ringing bells at wake O’clock,
making sweet dreams kind of short,
urging sleepy logs for drowsy stops,
valued work of the prized tik-tok.
4. Four Minutes to Leave
by Caren Krutsinger
Six minutes to kill; five minutes still.
Four minutes and the next three are crawling along.
Four minutes, four minutes, four minutes.
I will the clock to show me three.
It finally does.
Let’s just go someone says.
Two leave.
I wait for the clock to run out.
I am old-school.
That’s what we do at five o’clock on a Friday
Even though we are the last ones to leave every location.
5. The Ticking Clock
by Bleeding Biro
I sit and listen to the clock
tick tick tick,
but never tock
it itches my skin
I tell myself
I will not think
its been 3 seconds
don’t think of him
tick tick tick,
finally! was that a tock?
I breathe in deep
the penny drops
when he left,
he took the clock.
6. Tick Tock
by Sam
Tick Tock goes the clock of wanting to hit the pipe again
Tick Tock goes the clock of wanting to be numb again
Tick Tock goes the clock of the flame burning against the glass
Tick Tock goes the clock of the drug melting away
Tick Tock goes the clock of inhaling danger into my lungs
Tick Tock goes the clock of exhaling the smoke
Tick Tock goes the clock of the high warming my body
Tick Tock goes the clock of desperately wanting more
Tick Tock goes the clock of crushing more danger
Tick Tock goes the clock of rolling the dollar bill
Tick Tock goes the clock of snorting away my problems
Tick Tock goes the clock of a rush of euphoria
Tick Tock goes the clock of redoing everything again
Tick Tock goes the clock of coming down again
Tick Tock goes the clock of endless sleepless nights
Tick Tock goes the clock of hearing my mother and father cry
Tick Tock goes the clock of the haunting silence in my room
Tick Tock goes the clock of my heart beating inside my chest
Tick Tock goes the clock of picking up the pen
Tick Tock goes the clock of the tear hitting the paper
Tick Tock goes the clock of wanting to be numb again
Tick Tock goes the clock of the trembling hands
Tick Tock goes the clock of folding the paper
Tick Tock goes the clock of whispering one last goodbye
Tick Tock goes the clock of me hanging in the belltower
7. The Showy Director
by Eimonison
Clasp of hands at strike of twelve,
daily greeting with sounding bell.
Changing hand signs in usual hours,
capturing eyes despite sundown.
Showy director of distinct height,
guiding admirers with timely sight.
8. Clock Tower
by Kassan J Kassim
Running up the time; while running away
from all my crazy thoughts.
How much time would it take to get to heaven,
climbing up a clock tower? A lot!
And if I fall,
do I hit the ground, or will I soar?
As I swore not to waste any more time,
but I broke that promise; wasting more time in
the above line. But fine!
I guess I’ll be like time:
not a lot in the best moments.
Rushing myself with all of the time in the world;
but never to hold it. Or own it!
A thousand clock towers;
still feels like I never have enough time.
Clock Poems about Time
Clock poems about time explore the nature of this precious resource, its fleeting nature, and its impact on our lives. In this section, we’ll share some of the most captivating poems about clocks and time and their messages.
1. On a Sole-Ticking Clock
by Obinna Kenechukwu Eruchie
I.
The clock ticks without counting time
Ticking without a limb forward
Ticking second every second
Ticking to tease it tells each time
For the sole time it tells ever
Has never been the telling time
Save once per night and once per day
II.
How can one see when the time told
By the clock matches the right time
Unless one’s time’s strapped to one’s wrist
Or some clock hangs or stands elsewhere
To tell the time ‘tween noon and dusk
And the time ‘tween midnight and dawn
III.
Nailed to the glum livingroom’s wall
Is this very forlorn time-box
That was once a counter of time
Now solely a machine of ticks
Time’s former herald feigning life
With three arms frozen on its face
2. Ode to a Clock
by Robert Frost
Tick-tock, tick-tock, the clock does chime,
Marking the passing of hours in rhyme.
It measures our days, it counts our years,
Ticking away, erasing our fears.
3. Tick Tock (How I Measure Time)
by Theia Gwen
Tick, Tock I can’t stop staring at the clock
Waiting for this period to end
Tick, Tock 82 minutes
Until I’ll see you again
Tick, Tock still staring at the clock
It’s quite embarrassing to confess
That as i’m sitting here with 65 minutes left
All I’m thinking is when i’ll see you next
Tick, Tock what’s wrong with that clock?
It says I have to wait another half hour
I’ve been sitting her an eternity
Tick, Tock I know that clock is a liar
Tick Tock, my eyes plastered to the clock
Why can’t time go faster?
Tick, Tock 15 minutes on the clock
Until I hear your laughter
Tick, Tock 5 more minutes on the clock
I’ts quite silly of me
That I measure time by when I’ll see you again
Tick, Tock please go quicker, you stupid clock
Tick, Tock one more minute on the clock
Until our brief encounter
Tick Tock my heart beats like a clock
The bell rings as a reminder
Tick, Tock I’m done staring at the clock
And now, I’ll search for your face
We spot each other but can only speak for a minute
Tick, Tock why can’t time just stop?
Tick, Tock the teacher point to the clock
I’m always late for class
Tick, Tock it starts all over again
Just staring at the clock
Until I see you again
4. The Sands of Time
by William Shakespeare
The sands of time, forever they flow,
Marking our journey as we come and go.
From birth to death, they measure our fate,
As we navigate life’s intricate state.
5. The Clock of Life
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The clock of life keeps ticking away,
Each passing moment, a fleeting display.
Youth’s joys, like morning dew, soon depart,
Leaving behind memories etched on the heart.
6. Its Time!
by Anonymous
Tick tock its 12 ‘o clock and your smiling merely
tick tock its 1′ o clock as tears pour from your eyes
tick tock its 2′ o clock and everything is fine once again
tick tock its 3 ‘o clock and your late once more
tick tock its 4’o clock and your wondering what you did
tick tock its 5’o clock and everything is happy again
tick tock its 6′ o clock and your wondering why your still here
tock tock its 7′ o clock and you swear you never want to leave
tick tock its 8’o clock and your being pulled in every direction
tick tock its 9′ o clock and toy have become someone you have grown to hate
tick tock its 10′ o clock and its the best feeling in the world
tick tock its 11′ o clock and you have just messed up again
tick tock its 12 ‘o clock ans everything starts over
7. Clockwork Heart
by Sylvia Plath
In the chambers of my clockwork heart,
Time ticks away, tearing me apart.
Each beat a reminder of moments gone by,
Leaving behind traces of laughter and sigh.
8. Time Sounds the Clock
by Jazmine Cox
Tick. Tock.
Time sounds the clock
Patience becomes an endless strife
as potential continues to mock
Tock. Tick.
The clock continues to click
As time dictates the pace of your life
opportunities are decreasing quick
Tick. Tock.
The gentle hands knock
While time goes by in a blink of an eye
you’re left in a state of shock
Tock. Tick.
Is it your mind playing a trick
while progression seems to pass you by
and you can’t get moments to stick
Tick. Tock.
Time is running up
You watch, you wait and deteriorate
while hoping the clock will stop
Tock. Tick.
9. A Time to Stand Still
by Emily Dickinson
Tick-tock, the clock goes on its way,
But there are moments when time should stay.
A time to stand still, to savor the now,
To escape the relentless march somehow.
10. Revisiting Time
by M.L. Kiser
Many a moon has passed
and time’s about to still;
a clockmaker returns to his
first creation;
the venerable artisan
with tools in-hand and
once again, his arthritic
hands re-craft perfection.
Arising from the debris of
trashed parts comes his earliest
carved beauty; a spring here,
a new cog there and the elderly
timepiece ticks once again.
A brand-new face framed in
a freshly polished brass case,
sparks to life in its metronomic song.
A gift to grace the old shop,
he’s leaving to his talented
grandson; some crafts are
simply…timeless.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the concept of time has inspired many poets to write beautiful clock poems that teach us to appreciate the value of each moment.
Whether funny, inspirational, short, or long, there are clock poems for everyone, including children.
These clock poems remind us to make the most of our time and cherish every moment we have.
We hope this collection of poems for clock has been helpful in inspiring you to make the most of your time and cherish every moment.
Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!
