Pat Jones

An Armchair Philosopher Considers Time

by Catherine Chandler

Most astrophysicists agree
there was a big bang long ago;
and, based on microwaves, foresee
the distant outcome. Apropos,
regardless if it’s ice or ash,
it seems they still cannot unlock
the secret of the awesome flash
that launched the ticking cosmic clock.
Time. Ours to waste, to keep and kill;
to make, to mark, to bide and buy;
which, in its mystic fullness, will
reveal not only how, but why.
But in the meantime, here’s the odds —
dark energy, or God, or gods.

Currently a resident of St. Lazare, Quebec, Catherine Chandler has lectured in Spanish at McGill’s Department of Translation Studies and Concordia University's Language Institute. Her poems and translations have been widely published in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. She is the author of For No Good Reason (Olive Press, 2008).