26 MARCH 1965, Page 34

Private Time, Public Time

(from 'E=MC2,' a sequence) Private time, public time—

By my love I measure my time By your love you measure your time By our love we measure our time.

Content, we assuming all private times agree, adjust even market clocks to our fine degree.

Then bitter physics teach us other lies, Cosmic rays dying slow make us reckon wise.

Public time, private time—

By my hate I measure my time By your hate you measure your time By their hate we measure our crime. Angry, we accepting public time, by our sighs only, find our lives can synchronise.

Now, observing, not serving time, our courses relative and less than light, all our collisions we reduce to proof—

Not what's o'clock, But who's o'clock?

ROBERT SHAW