world trade

 

 

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

  1. 37 pm

 

 

Jeff Cloves
Illustration Nick Victor


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