Clockwise

I’m your bedside mate.
And I’ll let you all
into a secret.
If my quartz crystal
didn’t oscillate
to tune my pulse rate
to ticking tempo,
you’ll surely be late.

But I say nothing.
Just sit in my place
as squat as a toad
and keep a straight face,
pointing to time’s road.
Tomorrow at dawn,
I’m set to alarm.
May your dreams be deep
when I steal your sleep.

Copyright: from Hello H2O (Hodder Children’s, 2003/2013), © John Agard 2003, used by permission of the author and publisher

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