Sunrise Again in Standard Time

It uplifts the spirit
to walk ourselves back a tiny step toward our planet's nature
to see bright sun 
at what only yesterday
was a dark hour.

Our ancestors
(likely even their ancestors)
knew the meaning of sunrise,
of sunset,
and of the high noon between.

Then,
they begat civilization
which begat commerce and industry
which needed to divide the day and night.
Ancestors gave each a dozen hours.

Sunrise Again in Standard Time

Bob Komives

Then,
they begat machines
and the skills to make them,
which begat 
a desire to give more precision
to the 4 o'clock meet.
But,
(below and above the equator)
the best machinists had trouble
making their hours shorter
then longer
(and then shorter again)
as our planet's year progressed.

Until,
they added the two-dozens 
into twenty-four equal parts,
so the machinists could work their magic,
and the voiceless sun would have to rise
at a different hour and minute each day.
But, it worked--
brilliantly.

Then, 
further offspring,
machinists and the mechanics,
invented the steam engine and its railroads.
They made civilization roll into a leap forward
again.

Their descendants,
(our ancestors and their things)
moved so quickly along these roads
that it became a problem 
to know the exact hour here
but not there:
“When do you depart?”
“When might I expect you?”
“Can't you just write me down a schedule?”

So, their children,
our ancestors 
told us to ignore our personal, local high noon.
They settled quite comfortably into time zones.
Even breathed sighs of relief.
It was good--
for a good time.

Until, their children,
our mothers and fathers,
(at work and at play)
found it hard to give up the summer.
Crazy as it seemed,
little by little,
place by place,
they pushed summer into winter
and called it “savings time.”
And most of us say it is good--
for a time.

For, 
our ancestors,
our mothers and fathers
in adding more “unnatural”
to the already “unnatural”
gave us a sudden,
pleasant,
yearly,
surprise,
and 
(at dark times)
a hope-filled metaphor.

For,
it uplifts the spirit
to walk ourselves back a tiny step toward our planet's nature
to see bright sun 
at what only yesterday
was a dark, dark hour.

Bob Komives  ::  Fort Collins © 2018  ::  Sunrise Again in Standard Time  ::  1802


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