The Left Column
Liberty by
endless flood 
like an overflowing
river of life
  The numbers on the face of the clock
 Had been carved from onyx.
    I picture the lapidary
  bent over the swirling garnet paper
    and little drill-bit tool
     breathing through a mask.

  The clock needed to be plugged in
    The onyx was silky and milky
    the clock wasn't green at all
      It didn't ever tell the time.
  All it could do was spread rumors 
        of time.