Ticking gracefully
as the basins of a watermill,
a watch was wound and put away
a coat misplaced
in some infinite cabinet 
bound the clock work where it lay
for years and years
it counted,
set back each week an hour
until the cogs all rusted
and the battery lost its power
all the while children laughed,
people were in pain
no one heard the buried watch
counting out in vain

Someone will find it lifeless
repair not worth the cost
they'll never stop to pose the question
        where does time go when it is lost?