Explore "The Clock of the Years" by Thomas Hardy on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
"A spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up."
AND the Spirit said, / "I can make the clock of the years go backward, / But am loth to stop it where you will. " / And I cried, "Agreed / To that. Proceed: / It's better than dead!"
He answered, "Peace"; / And called her up-as last before me; / Then younger, younger she freshed, to the year / I first had known / Her woman-grown, / And I cried, "Cease! -
"Thus far is good- / It is enough-let her stay thus always! " / But alas for me. He shook his head: / No stop was there; / And she waned child-fair, / And to babyhood.
Still less in mien / To my great sorrow became she slowly, / And smalled till she was nought at all / In his checkless griff; / And it was as if / She had never been.
"Better," I plained, / "She were dead as before! The memory of her / Had lived in me; but it cannot now! " / And coldly his voice: / "It was your choice / To mar the ordained. "