Time Stood Still
Only days before Mother died
the grandfather clock in the parlor
the grandfather clock in the parlor
clanked to a stop. Probably
an old spring had stretched
to the point of snapping. Oh,
we did have plans to fix it
but, then, none of us especially wanted
to be awakened again
by the midnight chime
that sometimes seemed to last forever.
So, eventually, we decided to let it be:
that Saturday morning, 7:33,
cranberry muffins
fresh out of the oven.
About the Author
Richard Jordan’s poems have appeared recently or will appear soon in Midwest Quarterly, Rattle, Valparaiso Poetry Review, New York Quarterly, Gargoyle Magazine, Sugar House Review, Tar River Poetry, The Rappahannock Review, Louisiana Literature, Little Patuxent Review, and elsewhere. His debut chapbook, “The Squannacook at Dawn”, won first place in the 2023 Poetry Box Chapbook Contest and will appear in early 2024. He lives in the Boston area.