there once was
a clock on the wall
the very day
it was bought
it fell off
like Humpty Dumpty
it had
a great fall
so the dial glass
cracked right across
and a piece fell out
the shape
of a slice of cake
it never lost time
though
not for a moment
the second hand
kept sweeping
the time hands
went on doing
their jerky job
it had only been
up there
perhaps half a day
the flat colour
of its plastic case
the same
astonishingly
as the kitchen’s woodwork
it cost two pounds
it was made in China
nearly two years later
it’s still silently ticking
the battery has
never been replaced
at a quick glance
it looks unharmed
it’s absolutely accurate
this clock
must have something
to say to us
about the state
of the free-market
in the world today
wouldn’t you think?
I stare at its face
it stares at mine
I can’t hear a thing
the time is
- 37 pm
Jeff Cloves
Illustration Nick Victor