Time and Death

Time and Death sat all alone
To watch the new Sun rise,
As warmth it brought to lifeless stone
And light to empty skies.
 
Time stood up and ran to see
The beauties that awoke.
For he had waited endlessly
In darkness’ heavy cloak.
 
All things living he embraced;
They warmed his weary soul.
He tended all things life had graced;
To nurture was his goal.
 
Death in turn was bound by law
Above himself and Time,
To claim the beauties they now saw
And end them in their prime.
 
Pained to see such beauty slain
Time begged a small reprieve.
“If you wish not to cause me pain
One flower you must leave.”
 
Death obliged and left alone
A flower that Time chose,
And soon it was quite mighty grown;
A wonder of a rose.
 
Blooming so for ages long
The rose brought Time to smile.
But Death looked on and knew it wrong
So said “but wait a while.”
 
Time with love the rose did tend
Until it ceased to bloom.
It found life tiresome with no end
And mutely begged for doom.
 
Death for mercy took the life
That would not deathless live.
“You see” said he “I bring no strife
But meaningfulness give.”
 
Seeing things he loved so hurled
Into their dying gasp,
Time vengeful swore to shape a world
Where Death would have no grasp.
 
Time took all the world in hand
To try and flee Death’s reign.
From age to age he changed the land
But such escape was vain.
 
Nations rose and creatures passed
As earth raced through the sky,
Yet every age was like the last;
All things still begged to die.
 
Weary of a losing war
That pained him from the start,
He aged all things so life no more
Might break his greedy heart.
 
Robbed of purpose even Death
Had only now to die.
He whispered with his dying breath
“You killed all things, not I.”
 
And lastly darkened he the sun
That warmed this lifeless stone.
With Death now dying, Time had won
In darkness, all alone.