The Clock That Laughs And Loves

Jupiter soon will leave the evening sky.

From our perspective the planet will pass
behind the Sun and emerge in our dawn.

Saturn is returning to our evening.

The sky is a silent clock. I’m listening.
I only hear things that I imagine.

It’s a silent clock and it never stops
turning its strange infinity of gears
no matter how carefully I listen,
no matter what I imagine I hear.

Does anybody in your life ever
pay attention to anything you say?

Jupiter silently is leaving us.

Saturn silently will be coming back.

It’s a rhythm that laughs at me listening,
that laughs at everyone imagining
they hear the silent clockwork gears turning.

But the silent clock never stops turning.
If it does laugh it’s an embracing laugh,
a warm laugh, it’s love, saying, “Keep listening!”
It is laughter and love and beautiful.

What teaches a person to stop listening?

What teaches you to pay no attention?

What teaches a lover to look away?