Grim Reaper Poem by Francie Lynch

Maura gave me a watch
Many Christmasses ago;
Time and again its hands
Slap my memory for being special.
It had a crystal face,
Nickel-plated case,
A golden crown,
Calendar window,
And a dial with Arabic numerals.
A ten dollar Timex
That made me feel like a million.
The older brothers didn't have a watch,
But I had a second hand
For accurate readings
Of who could piss the longest,
Hold their breath for two minutes,
How long it took for the kettle to boil,
Or a snail to crawl a foot.
Everything could be timed,
And timing, like my watch,
Was everything.
I was the official timekeeper,
And took my duties seriously.
I wore it on my left arm,
And almost become a southpaw.
Then one day the sweep second froze,
The big and little hands stopped.
A spring or something broke;
The date was as constant
As the Grim Reaper.