The Joyous Bells of Poem-time

Well, what have we to lose, my dearSave, a silver shimmer of timeTo pause upon parchment veneerAnd drink a bit of ink-spun rhymeAnd then to find within the swellOf consonant and vowel leaseSomething akin to Yuletide’s bellRinging with hope and joy and peace Well, what have we to gain, my friendTo tame time’s unrelenting zealEnough to feel the warp and wendOf pirouettes in pink and tealBut a fine merge with ink and pageAnd a renewed awareness ofWhat matters most from age to ageAs would-be longing turns to love Well, what have we in common butThe constant Thus of live and learnWhere in this grin-and-groan gamutWisdom is a crown we must earnAnd oft, amidst hard knocks and suchWe turn to seek the soft replyWhere once a bard took time to touchThe page with ink wrung from a sigh Well, what have we to do but lookAnd listen where lost worlds/words live onBetween the covers of a bookWaiting for us to hap uponThen, what have we to lose my dearSave minutes that clock towers chimeWhile we dance to the songs we hearIn joyous bells of Poem-time © Janet Martin