Analog Time in a Digital World
Poem by Jeral Williams
Jeral Williams’ poem contrasts generations through a simple yet powerful object—a pocket watch. As the past meets the present, the speaker reflects on time’s passage, tradition, and the beauty of things once cherished but now unfamiliar. If you enjoy this feature and would like to see more, let me know with a comment, 💌 share, ♥️ like, or better yet, a 🔄 restack!
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My great-granddaughter pointed,
“What is that round silver thing?”
A treasure my grandfather,
carefully wound each day
with two hands
and deftly removed
opened and closed
with one hand
before returning
to his shirt pocket.
I opened the watch,
revealing two arrows,
X’s, V’s and I’s.
She rolled her eyes
shrugged her shoulders
and focused on another shelf.
Hands put a face on time,
provoking perspective
moving from history
toward future hope.
A sense
of before,
broad shoulders,
deep roots,
more to me than me.
of today,
daily anchors
work hours, mealtimes, rest.
of tomorrow
midnight hope
to be more than me.
Digital time reveals
fleeting minutes and moments,
the here and now and no more.
For her 8th birthday
I will give her an analog clock.
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Jeral Williams is a retired professor of psychology and late-in-life poet. In addition to individual poems in Pure Slush, Written Tales, Heron’s Nest and other sources he has published one collection, Sunset Without Dawn, (Negative Capability Press, 2022). The collection is centered in his grief over the loss of a daughter.