Where does time halt its tireless march,
Though slowly life transforms its hue.
A dusting of sorrow on our cheeks it leaves,
Then floods the heart with joy anew.
It can be cold, devoid of care,
And yet, a gentle, soothing balm.
It steals away the ones we hold so dear,
And brings new faces to our palm.
Who is a friend, and who's unknown,
Time whispers secrets in our ear.
It tears away the masks we wear,
And shows the truth, both far and near.
It teaches how to rise from every fall,
And find a victory in defeat.
It waits for none, it stops for naught,
Each moment fades, a memory sweet.
It tests our patience in the darkest nights,
Then dawns a new day, bright and bold.
Hope stirs awake, a gentle fire,
As life's next chapter starts to unfold.
Wealth, and want, and joy, and pain,
Are but its stages, fleeting fast.
So many phases in a single life,
A glimpse of future, present, past.
Let us embrace it, hold it dear,
For time will never come again.
Like grains of sand, it slips away,
Beyond our grasp, beyond our ken.
The wise discern its constant flow,
And in its rhythm, find their way.
Time shapes them well, through every test,
To live a full and brighter day.
