Timepiece

Young Roger was a businessman,

Never ‘Can I?’ More ‘I can.’

He drank his lemon minus lime,

Since adding lime would waste more time.

Roger was the Yuppie sort

Who liked to keep things brief and short.

He went to church, each Sunday twice,

And thought it should be more concise.

The morning service, given power,

He’d cut at least by half an hour.

Evensong was far too long,

The Prayer Book writers got it wrong.

‘Glory to the usual three’

Would shorten the doxology,

To say ‘Have mercy” once would do,

No need to say it three times through.

Why say ‘for ever’ twice when one

Would mean the same and get things done?

Such language was an oddity

And time was a commodity

Best not misspent in needless ways

Repeating every other phrase.

In Roger’s view the Church would gain

By moving to the outside lane

And taking shortcuts where it could

As all successful ventures should.

Poor lad, he could not take on board

That time’s a thing God can afford

For none can save, not even he,

One moment from eternity.