The Hourglass Maker
My occupation here
is to put air on sand
into hourglasses,
breathing time into curved glass.
There are certain formulas for the careful extraction.
The air must be pulled from precise locations-
The small passage near the left ventricle of the heart.
From tiny pockets between vertebrae of the upper spine.
And there are cavities behind the eyes,
air is brought in and stored there,
not by breath but by glance.
this last location is also the hardest,
the eyes must be seared by horrific sights
to produce and harvest spit tears
that are then destructive-distilled for their contents.
All of which are breathed in
to be breathed out
into the hourglass.
--John Hamilton
1 comment:
Reading John's expanded obituary and looking at the pictures in his blog during a visit with Ashley tonight reminded me of how deeply I felt his loss. I really didn't know John all that well. In fact, I didn't even start to get to know him until about a year after I became friends with Ashley. Yet, I will always remember the times I spent in his company.
John was the rare guy who didn't seem to separate "her" friends from "his" friends or have this male/female divide. If I called to talk to Ashley and John answered the phone, we'd talk for awhile first. He always made me laugh--often to the point of tears--with jokes both witty and silly. He could converse on a wide variety of subjects and had such a compassionate heart. And, of course, I also believe John's extra touches during my cat Molly's foster days contributed to many of the positive traits she exhibits now. If I miss John, I can't remotely conceive of what his friends and family must feel...........
I am incredibly grateful to have the friends I do (love ya', Ashley!). And I am all the richer for having known John, even though it was for a relatively short time. Here's to toasted marshmallows and rogue elephants in disguise!
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