Death of A Clock

It was the heartbeat of the house.
Situated at the opposite end from the master bedroom,
Atop the mantel over the living room fireplace,
Its loud clang could be heard in the wee hours.

Sometime in the late sixties,
The clock was purchased
From an antique store in Scarscale
As a Christmas present for the lady of the house.

The model is an Ansonia Parisian
From the late nineteenth century
With an etched glass front and
Carved wood head and lyres.

After extensive revision, cleaning,
And the purchase of a matching finial,
The clock took its place as a fixture
Of the decorating scheme of the establishment.

It never did keep exact time, even though
The counterweight could be adjusted
By screwing a nut up and down
To change the speed of the pendulum.

The clock survived the move to Cape Cod
But required periodic visits to the Clock Shop.
Scheduled windings of the gears
Took place on Saturday mornings.

Changes in the local times
And power outages were troublesome
As the hands had to move manually
To synchronize the time and chimes.

Alas, the clock's noises are no longer welcome
And it had to be retired from active duty.
Now it sits in a corner on a lady's desk
As a simple feature of the antique decor.