The Day is Young

While traveling through these modern times
I ran up on an ancient bloke,
he was trying to sell a bag of rhymes
I thought it was some kind of joke.

I said I had no cares
concerning what he had to sell,
but, he went on showing wares
and each had a story to tell.

He announced he took great pride
sizing up each customer,
I believed he would take me for a ride
which I didn't at all prefer.

At last he produced a pocket watch
a very strange and unique-like piece,
I believed I was just another "notch"
and I wanted his patter to cease.

It was then that I caught a second glance
of a watch that was unique, in a way
it gleamed and shimmered me into a trance,
"I've got to have it!", is all I could say.

His eyes lit up as he named a price
that was absorbingly, too high...
up until then, I thought he was nice
now, I thought his pitch was a lie!

He handled the piece with deft, and grace
and convinced me of it's charm,
he said there were powers in it's magical case
and in the wrong hands, it could bring harm.

I paid the man before his price could climb,
and he described to me it's powers,
he told me that it could erase time
including seconds, minutes, and hours.

With purchase in hand, I slipped away
anxious to put it's powers to the test,
I wondered if it could erase a whole day
or was this man making folly, and jest?

I wound the stem, and the second hand
had it's direction completely reversed,
as it picked up speed, I couldn't understand
that the watch was quite probably "cursed"!

Then, a frightening thought occurred to me
what if this reversal could not end?
if the days and weeks continued to flee
a time-warp might be the next trend!

There really was no "ifs", "buts", or "maybes"
this was quite the dangerous toy!
But, it was pointless to warn all these babies
besides, who'd listen to a little boy?!