Seconds out,

round one,

her alarm goes off

and there is a groan of bitter regret

that for the working woman,

the work never seems

to get any simpler,

that the clock,

fascist timekeeper, harsh task master

is always an hour too soon,

just an extra hour,

one day to wake up refreshed and bunny like enthusiasm

as the dawn of a day missed is noticed;

till then, the silent anger of sitting

and talking Government speak

is the reason

she hates the clock.

Ian D. Hall 2017