Eight-Day Clock
Morning yawning 11 leaden noon too soon 1 undone
5 alive 7 heaven 9 divine 10, 11, 12 and 1, more, more, more fun night tight
Morning yawning... .
Kay Sage
SourceLicence:Public domain (US, unrenewed)
Morning yawning 11 leaden noon too soon 1 undone
5 alive 7 heaven 9 divine 10, 11, 12 and 1, more, more, more fun night tight
Morning yawning... .
Hours become words in Kay Sage's "Eight-Day Clock," and the poem ticks along on rhyme alone. Each number gets a short, snappy partner: "11 leaden," "noon too soon," "1 undone." The speaker moves through a single day, and the feeling changes as the clock does. The morning starts with a yawn and a heavy, sluggish stretch. Then, around five, things spring to life: "alive," "heaven," "divine." The numbers pile up faster ("10, 11, 12 and 1"), and the poem seems to lose patience with counting and just demand "more, more, more / fun." Then comes "night tight," a clipped, almost claustrophobic ending.
The best trick is the last line, "Morning yawning... .", which sends us back to the start. Nothing is resolved; the day simply resets. That loop gives the playful, nursery-rhyme tone an edge. The fun is real but temporary, and the clock keeps turning regardless. The title, with its eight-day winding, even hints at how long the machine can run on its own.