These four short lines set two places side by side: where we keep time, and where we love. The title suggests a proverb, and the poem does sound like a saying, with its balanced, almost chiseled phrasing. But it doesn't offer a neat lesson. It offers a contrast.
In the first part, keeping time leaves us unprepared. Counting hours and measuring days doesn't make us ready for whatever they bring. In the second part, love pushes us past limits. "We exceed" suggests going beyond what is sensible or allowed, and "we eat" turns that excess into something physical and hungry. The ellipsis after "eat" leaves the sentence unfinished, as if the appetite hasn't stopped.
The mood is quiet but charged. The speaker sounds less like someone scolding and more like someone observing, with a hint of wonder. Time makes us anxious and unready, while love makes us bold, even greedy.