Leap Second (Correcting Time)

The rotation of earth
has slowed they say
with the pull of the moon
upon the tides,
it has become sluggish
- will get slower still.

For years, scientists
have made up for this
by adding a second
every few years
to the atomic clock
to “correct” the time.

What could you do
with an added second?
It’s less than a minute
to the span of one life,
but still this minute,
not used, is wasted.

And what if you had
an extra hour?
One precious hour
to use as you wish?
Would you watch a re-run,
once again?

You could tend to your work
tend to your friends
or your garden or home,
or enjoy simple comforts
like chocolate and coffee
and finely aged rum

Would you spend the hour
on a sandy shore
under perfect sky
-the tide on your toes,
the sun on your neck-
and revel in its mystery

Or spend one sweet hour
in your lover’s arms,
belly to belly,
and breathe in her scent
while whispering words
of lust and of love?
5-3-06