tick tock   tick tock the game is locked and nobody else can play   yonder spy his roving I at rest (but that's his way)   hidden springs to pull his wings and sails to soar alone   hearts to break and earths to quake and skies as yet unflown   now who's to blame this gameless game these rules that won't stay rules   by shifts of light the day plays night a sage will play the fool   a hand, a fist a rock, a mist a face, a stream of tears   a pit, a pearl a word, a world a dream that yawns through years   to dance, to know to be, to grow to do things till they're done   abandon me and learn to see the sense of what's begun     © Michael Fleming New York, New York June 1982