Clock Time
Ronna Magy
Down the hall from
mother’s hospice bed,
a clock ticks.
Wooden-framed,
Roman numeralled,
it hangs on the wall.
Silent, she and I wait
while moments pass on.
By this time,
her throaty voice
no longer speaks.
Past, words that conveyed her
motherly fears.
Where did I go wrong? and
You’ll lead a lonely life.
She loves this lesbian daughter
as best she can.
In the hospice room,
good-byes already said,
I watch her yellowing body
as it curls into death.
Hall clock
ticking away moments.
Killing our time.
Down the hall from
mother’s hospice bed,
a clock ticks.
Wooden-framed,
Roman numeralled,
it hangs on the wall.
Silent, she and I wait
while moments pass on.
By this time,
her throaty voice
no longer speaks.
Past, words that conveyed her
motherly fears.
Where did I go wrong? and
You’ll lead a lonely life.
She loves this lesbian daughter
as best she can.
In the hospice room,
good-byes already said,
I watch her yellowing body
as it curls into death.
Hall clock
ticking away moments.
Killing our time.
Working notes
In any given moment of relationship, the desire for connection stands next to the passage of time. "Clock Time" examines the ephemeral nature of relationships and the limitations of the heart.
About the author
Ronna Magy came onto the planet as the colors of World War II were fading from Detroit’s skyline and Sputnik orbited the skies. She is a member of QueerWise, a collective of lesbian and gay elders doing spoken-word performances in Los Angeles. Ronna’s stories and poetry have appeared in journals and anthologies including Lady Business: A Celebration of Lesbian Poetry; Sinister Wisdom; My Life is Poetry; Best Lesbian Romance; Lavanderia; A Woman’s Touch; Hers 2; Love Shook My Heart; Heatwave; and The Bilingual Review. She is the author of several English as a Second Language textbooks.
For an updated list of works published in TRIVIA, please see this author's contributor page.
For an updated list of works published in TRIVIA, please see this author's contributor page.