"Time" (Follow-Up Part 1)

As promised yesterday, a poem about time:

If I Could Tell You

Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

Suppose all the lions get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.

(W. H. Auden 1907-1973)

I love this form of poetry, the villanelle. I also like the sentiment. Although time is so cruelly tight-lipped about the future and reasons for things and fortune, the poet, out of his deep love would share these things if he knew them.

( . . . but from what I know of physics and time travel and potential ramifications of such knowledge, I think it's probably a good thing he isn't able to do so!)