In the tenth second of forever
I thought of the sea and a white yacht drifting

In the ninth second of forever
I thought of a leaf, a stone
The plastic fragment of a child's toy

In the eighth second of forever
I remembered a warm room where voices played

In the seventh second of forever
I thought of the life I would not lead

In the sixth second of forever
I saw your mouth whispering something I could not hear

In the fifth second of forever
I thought of the vermilion deserts of Mars
The jewelled forests of Venus

In the fourth second of forever
I could remember nothing that I did not love

In the third second of forever
I thought of rain against a window, I thought of the wind
In the second second of forever
I thought of the pair of broken shades lying on the tarmac

In the first and final second of forever
I thought of the long past that had led to now
And never... never... never... never