What a Sundial Should Say

My sundial is a pillar with a bronze face.

I found the dial on a property belonging to the same company that owns my apartment. When I called them up to ask if I could move it to my garden, they said, “What sundial?”

Thinking quickly, I said they had the the wrong number and hung up. Later, with considerable effort, I moved the heavy pillar a half-block down to my herb bed, where it stands today.

The dial is worn with no gnomon and a trite motto: “Tempus Fugit.” This year, I’ve vowed to make a new face made for my sundial, with an ornate, accurate shadow. Upon it, I will inscribe the very words which define time:

It’s just a jump to the left . . .