An Abandoned Hour by Gareth Trew

Today, I dropped an hour
by the side of a busy road.

I did not pause to reconsider
but simply left it lying there,
abandoned amongst butts, crushed cans
and spat-out wads of gum.

Later – through the evening news – I learned
that my hour had been found and used.

A young boy – an aspiring
traffic-window-washer –
had spotted it, pocketed it
and spent it straight away.

An extra hour in his day
and he'd bested fate; defied
his high-stacked odds.

He smiled widely, but his grateful face
held great contempt as well: for me.

I sat, unmoving,
no longer watching,
but musing on my hour, gone;

wondering – shamefacedly –
with it, what could I have done?


Gareth Trew