Ever get a little Cuckoo?
I did once–back in 1986–for Christmas, actually. . .
It was a gift—-R E A L L Y !
Just married,
6 months before
to blend a woman, a man,
her daughter and his two into a brand new family. . .
He was a member of First Christian Church there on E. Beau Street in Washington, PA. where I was an Associate Minister at the time. . .
I forget his name, Last and First. . .
I barely can remember what he looks like. . .
in fact, don’t send the Police Sketch Artist over
unless he can just draw,
“Balding and elderly with wire rim glasses.”
. . .but his gift. . .
I Remember. . .
He thought it would be a nice gift
–Christmas or not–
for our newly formed family,
with the girls and all. . .
So for the annual Rummage Sale, this
Forgotten REMEMBERED Gift-Giver
saw us all eyeing up a Cuckoo Clock–
his and, though it was in fact his donation to the cause,
he actually bought it for us. . .
thought it the right thing to do. . .
FOR SURE, IT WAS A KIND GESTURE. . .
U N F O R G O T T E N
. . .and it gets even better. . .
He came over and installed it
T H A N K F U L L Y
Because I’m lucky to put together a few stumbled words that make any sense let alone a Cuckoo Clock that was in a
s h o e b o x–s i z e 1 0–m e n’ s. . .
He came over and under all of our watchful eyes,
not only assembled it piece by piece
but hung it on the wall and showed us how to carefully pull down the weights
and presto with one gentle push of the pendulum
it began ticking and tocking in a most comforting way. . .
We could all hardly wait and then. . .
and then it happened it hit 6:00
and that Cuckoo came out for the very first time. . .
we witnessed it with wonder and awe. . .
It seemed to be that way every time we heard it,
day,
night
or middle of the night until. . .
UNTIL we moved. . .
We moved to Bay Village, OH
early next Summer, to a new Church,
Westlake Christian Church
and set up our home. . .
but the Cuckoo Clock didn’t fare so well;
It made the trip just fine. . .
it was carefully packed and unpacked. . .
It was the HANGING. . .
I didn’t know the Cuckoo had actually been Tried and Convicted. . .
but the HANGING was a brutal, unmerciful
ACT OF DESTRUCTION
The Cuckoo never appeared again. . .
Oh, yeah,
the Clock was hung up on the wall,
several actually,
but it didn’t work right again. . .
I don’t think I got that
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
part right. . .
The Cuckoo found an unsightly burial on a garage heap early one
Tuesday morning. . .
never to be heard of again. . .
never to make an hourly appearance. . .
h i s
T I M E
i s
O U T
I’ve loved Watches all of my life–
Thanks, Pap. . .
His I L L U M I N A T E D at night.
I’ve always been about
T I M E
MAKING IT
WASTING IT
SEARCHING FOR IT
SAVORING IT
SAVING IT
but it does
G O
one tick-tock at a time. . .
some faster. . .
some slower. . .
some unnoticed. . .
some forgettable. . .
some unfathomable. . .
some unimaginably memorable. . .
some. . .
APPLE
just came out with another new Watch;
I didn’t buy it,
I don’t think I will. . .
The Cuckoo taught this Dodo a very valuable lesson. . .
still is ;
No Watch,
No Clock,
No Timepiece,
No Woman,
No Man,
No Child,
N O M A T T E R
will ever give me any more time. . .
And, and that’s,
that is OK. . .
I have all the Time there is,
w a s
and will be. . .
T I C K
T O C K
T I C K
T O C K
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
C U C K O O
cuckoo
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