"Held in the Hands of Time"

I hold my hands cupped in front of me.
I watch time slip in tiny grains of sand.
My fingers grasp but bring back nothing.
The amount I am able to hold is all but grand.

The clock moves in a full circle,
Spinning round and round as it goes.
I sit and count the minutes that pass,
Truly recognizing all that time knows.

Thinking back, time knows our lives the most.
Time holds the lives of us all, the lives of all others.
The moments we enjoyed, the moments we didn’t,
It shows the day we were born from our mothers.

Our first step, our first laugh,
The first time we held the thumb of our father,
The time our training wheels were taken off,
The second our sisters seemed like a bother.

It holds the joy of a gift on Christmas morning,
The sway of the swing in the backyard,
The too tight shoes, and too short of a skirt,
The day we fell and our knee was scarred.

Time feels our first struggle in math,
The first boy we have a crush on,
The day our stomach starts to cramp,
The day we sneak out at dawn.

It sees the passion in a kiss,
And the soon pain of heartbreak.
From crying with our mothers
And with our friends until our hearts ache.

But, it also recognizes the tears of joy,
The laughter that hurts our tummy,
The radiant beam of a smile,
That makes us stop feeling crummy.

Time is there when life starts anew.
When stories are told and tales are shared.
To the happiest of moments,
And the ones that make us the most scared.

I can’t slow time, can’t make it stop.
All I can do is hope time grants me a minute longer.
Because although I don’t appreciate it enough,
Time protects my memories, makes me stronger.

Time has no mercy, it shows none to no one.
For although you make these many memories,
Everyone’s time is eventually done.

But, do not fret, do not fear, time holds love, and holds it dear.