![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i148.photobucket.com\/albums\/s4\/barbkaus\/Waimea%20Valley%20Botanical%20Gardens\/Beginning%20May%2010\/Beginning%201-1-11\/CPCCollabBannerBarbara2.jpg\")
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<\/span><\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n \n As I look back on some three years or so of writing, I can’t help but notice how many times the theme of time has come up in various writing challenges and how many words I’ve written about it, as fascinated as I am with the whole concept of time and the way it sometimes seems to pass by so very quickly and sometimes (though not as often at all) creeps by so very slowly.<\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n So I was thrilled to see time as a CPC Collab theme this week with the following “required” line. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun going back through my own pieces and borrowing some favorite lines of my own and creating a new piece with the always-wonderful Collab lines posted in this weekly challenge that I would never miss . . . .<\/font><\/strong><\/font><\/span> ******************<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/font> \n BEYOND TIME<\/strong><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n BY BARBARA<\/strong><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n A CHERYL’S PALS’ COLLAB<\/strong><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n Tick-Tock, unwind the clock!<\/font><\/font><\/span> I try so very hard to ignore<\/font><\/font><\/span> While I can’t <\/font><\/font><\/span> I’ll take some of that time<\/font><\/font><\/span> (c) barbara kausteklis 6-11-11<\/font><\/font><\/span>
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\n<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/i148.photobucket.com\/albums\/s4\/barbkaus\/Waimea%20Valley%20Botanical%20Gardens\/Beginning%20May%2010\/Beginning%201-1-11\/Time--clock-1.jpg\")
\n <\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n
\nTurn back those hands <\/span>
\nso gripping my heart.<\/span>
\nRacing around the clock as they do,<\/span>
\nround and round, <\/span>
\nwhen will they stop,<\/span>
\nthe hands of that clock?<\/span>
\nTrying to keep up with their pace<\/span>
\nI’m simply losing my mind<\/span>
\nas they simply leave me<\/span>
\nforever behind
\nand <\/span>wishing I could
\nslow them down<\/span>
\nthose hands of time.<\/span>
\n
\nSlow it down, <\/span>
\nI plead again,<\/span>
\nthe time has simply gotten<\/span>
\nso very much out of hand<\/span>
\nas yesterday’s todays <\/span>
\nfall into the abyss <\/span>
\nof memories lost<\/span>
\nas I try reaching back for them.<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n
\nthe loud ticking of that clock<\/span>
\nand the hands as they move<\/span>
\naround and around <\/span>
\nand around,<\/span>
\nthe precious hours<\/span>
\nslipping by until <\/span>
\nsuddenly<\/span>
\nand without <\/span>
\nany warning at all,<\/span>
\nthe time that seemed endless<\/span>
\nis forever lost and gone.<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n
\nhelp but notice<\/span>
\nanother year <\/span>
\nhas slipped by,<\/span>
\nI resolve today <\/span>
\nto grab as much <\/span>
\nof what’s left <\/span>
\nbefore it gets <\/span>
\ntoo far away <\/span>
\nand leaves me <\/span>
\nfretting about it <\/span>
\nonce again.<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n
\nthat’s so fragile and fleeting<\/span>
\nto smile,<\/span>
\nto hum a tune,<\/span>
\nto say a little prayer,<\/span>
\nto smell a flower,<\/span>
\nto look at the sky,<\/span>
\nfor natural beauty<\/span>
\nis what there is to see.<\/span>
\nAnd ignoring the hands<\/span>
\nof that clock that distress me so,<\/span>
\nI remind myself once again<\/span>
\nthat there’s no need to worry,<\/span>
\nfor the passage of time<\/span>
\nis all in my mind<\/span>
\nas living beyond its boundaries,<\/span>
\ntomorrow is another day.<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/font>
\nThanks to Fellow Time Seekers:<\/span>
\nLady “Cheryl” Death, Falling Feather,<\/span>
\nAngel Love, Rebel, Diane, Dori, <\/span>
\nand Me, Barbara.<\/span><\/font><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n