Different Clocks Poem by Xolani Majola

Here is the revised note: This poem is about one of the most quietly painful human experiences; watching the world around you seem to move forward while you feel rooted in place. " Different Clocks" is a lyric poem written in the tradition of the Shakespearean sonnet; fourteen lines arranged in three quatrains and a closing couplet, held together by a steady ABAB rhyme scheme. The tone is reflective and tender, never bitter. The speaker does not resent those who have thrived; instead, they observe with quiet wonder, slowly arriving at a truth that is both simple and profound; that life is not a race with a single lane, but a journey where every person carries different weight, moves at a different pace, and is equipped with gear uniquely their own. At the heart of the poem is an extended metaphor that likens life to a race, not to inspire competition, but to dismantle it. The imagery of borrowed gear, armor, and seeds sown in personal soil speaks to the deeply individual nature of growth and timing. The poem does not promise arrival; it promises something rarer; the courage to keep facing forward, even through storms. It closes not with triumph, but with something more lasting; self-belief. In the final couplet, the speaker stands as their own witness, their own encourager, and ultimately, their own enough.