time changes pace 
to watch flowers grow 
time changes pace 
to watch a crack of lightning 
rip slowly 
across the ink blue sky 
time changes pace 
to a moment is a life-time 
and changes pace again 
to a lifetime is a moment 
and a universe 
can be seen in a rain drop 
in the world of other 
... 

time beats a one-note-drum 
too fast to see a flower grow 
too slow to see 
a crack of lightning 
rip slowly 
across the ink blue sky 
time keeps its pace 
to a moment is a beat 
and keeps its pace again 
as an army of moments 
becomes a lifetime of beats 
in the world of now 
... 

I leave behind the world of now 
and 
as I touch the world of other 
I smell the universe 
in a rain-drop 
but through the portal of my ear 
the stomping march of words 
"get to work" 
"don't be late" 
"go to church" 
"say your prayers" 
"on your knees" 
"say you're sorry" 
"confess your sins" 
"pray"  - "pray"  - "pray" 
"obey" - "obey"  - "obey" 
the words break through 
I am being sucked back 
back into the world of now 
I can not escape 
they took my soul 
with silky  words 
with bits of truth 
with bits of lies 
which was which 
think only of god they said 
god died for you 
you must die for god 
god suffered for you 
you must suffer for god 
it seemed so true 
but now 
now there is no other 
there's just me  - and time 
time  -  beating it's one note drum 
as I obey my god 
and see only the rain drop 
in the world of now 
 

Keith O'Connor 
2001   Dec  28 
Ottawa Ontario Canada