Gift of Time - Archie Chiu 

Tik, Tok,
Tik sounds the clock as time flies by.
Cherish
the gifts that life has kindly blessed,
for we must 
one day bid our loved ones good-bye.

To ignore
the memories time could buy,
is a wasteful
and reckless crime at best.
Tik, Tok,
Tik sounds the clock as time flies by.

Drowned
in promises we must break that tie.
There’s
no use hiding behind beliefs’ vest,
for we must
one day bid our loved ones good-bye.

Death will 
come to all and no soul knows why.
Last hopes
are again and again expressed.
Tik, Tok,
Tik sounds the clock as time flies by.

The burglar
of life orders all to lie,
seize the
remaining time, lean on love’s chest,
for we must
one day bid our loved ones good-bye.

When the
end comes we try not to cry.
Accept the
truth, for in the grave they will rest.
Tik, Tok,
Tik sounds the clock as time flies by.
For we must 
one day bid our loved ones good-bye.
Archie comments, "I personally really enjoy studying how people think and feel. In this villanelle, I tried to describe how people may feel during hopeless times and how people should cherish every moment of life before it's too late. This poem may be interpreted in different ways, but the main idea should be the same."

Archie is in 12th grade at Regina High School. The editors enjoyed the addition of the "Tik, Toks," in the piece. They also  enjoyed the interesting take on a dark topic. 

*Picture provided by Pexels