Thursday, October 25, 2018

DMC: "Passing Time with Tick and Tock" by Michelle Heidenrich Barnes


"Tick Tock" by Peter Nijenhuis


Passing Time with Tick and Tock

Each time I tick, my heart grows sick
to see time pass so quick-quick-quick!
Is it a joke? Some kind of trick?
This life is not the one I'd pick.

          With every tock, I find the clock
          has barely budged. Like solid rock,
          it sits there taunting, taking stock.
          I wish the future would unlock!

One fateful day, the story goes,
the two were caught up in the throes
of what could never be undone—
a time warp merged them into one!

          Tock would always follow Tick. 
          Tick would not abandon Tock.
          You'd think the two would really click,
          but now they bicker round the clock.

© 2018 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.


Through the wonders of modern technology, enter the YouTube portal to experience the time warp for yourself!




Under normal circumstances, today (the last Friday of the month) would be our wrap-up celebration for Calef Brown's DMC challenge to write a poem about two anthropomorphized objects. (Click HERE for more details.) Because we got a late start, however, I am postponing the celebration until next Friday, November 2nd, and look forward to sharing a few more daily ditties next week!

Featured poems this week were by Molly Hogan, Tabatha Yeatts, Renée LaTulippe, and Buffy Silverman. If you haven't already done so, you have until Wednesday, October 31st, to post your poem on the October 2018 padlet and be included in next week's wrap-up presentation.


Don't let time run away from you!

Stuart Rankin


Join Kay Jernigan McGriff at A Journey Through the Pages for this week's Poetry Friday roundup and her poem inspired by Calef Brown's challenge—"Sunrise Conversation." Thanks, Kay!






42 comments:

  1. I had relatives much like tick and tock - they spent their lives bickering and bickering and bickering, and if you didn't know better you'd think they hated each other, but when one passed away, the other soon followed - they couldn't live without each other, and it was the bickering that kept them going for so long!

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    1. Such a poignant story, Jane. It's a wonder how some relationships not only survive, but thrive.

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  2. Brava, Michelle! I didn't stumble once in reading your ditty--the surest sign for me that the rhyme works!

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    1. Thanks, Diane. It's too bad I couldn't find -ick and -ock rhymes for the third stanza too, but as it was, Rhymezone.com was working overtime for me!

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  3. Fabulous Michelle! I think the tock of my youth has given over to the tick, tick ..now that I am over the hill time does go quick!

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  4. I think I feel the most for Tick--time goes so fast!
    Also, I now have that Steve Miller Band song stuck on my head. :)

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  5. NEVER be undone? If only someone could...Sounds like a movie waiting to be written!

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  6. Ha! what a wonderful story...and poem. I do remember those old wooden clocks with the satisfying ticks and tocks sounds. They are more fun than digital any day.

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    1. Oh, I agree! There was a wind-up clock in my dining room that I miss in particular... and also one in the living room that used to chime! Such a comforting soundtrack for my growing-up years.

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  7. Love the rhythm and rhyme, Michelle, creates a look at 'inevitable' time no matter what we wish otherwise. Beautifully done story!

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    1. Inevitable is right, Linda. Controlling time is never an option. The best we can do is manage it, and even that's a struggle most days!

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  8. Oh, what fun! Tick is me now; I was tock when I was younger, but time seems to keep moving faster. I love "now they bicker round the clock."

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  9. What a clever poem--doesn't time seem just like that--sometimes moving way too fast and other times dragging oh so slowly. I look forward to celebrating the wrap up. I've enjoyed reading the poems so far.

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    1. I'm glad that folks weren't too intimidated to give this challenge a try. While some folks make it look easy, I think it's been a stretch for many of us.

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  10. Tick and tock seem to wage their war in me daily! Masterful and clever poem, Michelle (and don't know how I was ever confused by it, other than reading it when both tick and tock thought it was too late for a brain to function.)

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    1. Thanks, Buffy. Honestly? My theory is that you jumped over the title the first time you read it. (Something I do ALL the time!) Without the hint that Tick and Tock were characters, it would have confused me too. Plus the formatting makes a huge difference.

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  11. Brava! Such a clever poem, Michelle, loved every bit of it. And so much truth. :)

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  12. This is so much fun. Especially like the time warp! :-)

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    1. "Let's do the Time Warp agaaaaaaain!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w0WPkB3XJ4

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  13. Hilarious and so clever Michelle!

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  14. This is so clever and so much fun to read!

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  15. What a fun poem! We seem to always have this time bickering thing going on. I thought we'd never see the end of summer and now I want time to slow down, so I can enjoy this nice fall day. Hurry up. Wait!

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    1. My "wait" tends to be far more vocal than my "hurry up," but unfortunately not usually because I'm enjoying my time, more often because I'm trying to catch up! Something I'm working on, though. :)

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  16. Oh poor Tick and Tock, so sad that they are bickering away their precious time, alas they've inspired this wonderful poem–what a lovely tale, thanks Michelle!

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    1. You thought they were bickering before? Now they're arguing about which of them is the star of the poem!

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  17. I will never hear a clock again without thinking of bickering Tick and Tock. Very clever poem. Thanks, Michelle!

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    1. Thanks, Rosi. These days it's harder and harder to find clocks that still have a tick-tock sound!

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  18. Well, now, that's a little piece of brilliance, Michelle! I absolutely love it -- every word perfect, a jaunty rhythm, an amusing surprise. Bravissima! I want to keep reading it out loud. :)

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    1. Aw thanks, Renée. It's been a while since I've given in to a jaunty rhythm and rhyme-driven poem. It felt good!

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  19. Fun 'times'...great poem, Michelle! =)

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    1. Thanks, Bridget, you punster, you! I miss seeing you at PF.

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