Zero Error
(The offset clock)
(The offset clock)
A precise, sensitive
Yet inaccurate clock
It is
A simple wall clock
A Dansk one
Without the pendulum
A quartz crystal embedded
In a
Japanese movement
Our father
Would be impressed by
The clockwork
It needs no periodic adjustment
Except one AA alkaline
Cell every six months
But
You have to synchronize
The clock and set time
By looking at a modern cell phone
Yet inaccurate clock
It is
A simple wall clock
A Dansk one
Without the pendulum
A quartz crystal embedded
In a
Japanese movement
Our father
Would be impressed by
The clockwork
It needs no periodic adjustment
Except one AA alkaline
Cell every six months
But
You have to synchronize
The clock and set time
By looking at a modern cell phone
The earlier clocks
Would lose or gain time
Over days, weeks, and months
In our house father
Used to climb a ladder
To adjust
The grandfather clock’s vertical angle
And give the key
Some times
I used to assist him
With the adjustment
Would lose or gain time
Over days, weeks, and months
In our house father
Used to climb a ladder
To adjust
The grandfather clock’s vertical angle
And give the key
Some times
I used to assist him
With the adjustment
Now this quartz clock
Is
A bit finicky
It’s a bit moody
I could not diagnose
Whether it’s the loose contact
Or some other transient erratic
Behavior
When I replaced the battery
It started after a three minute
Delay – so, that is the offset
Or, you might call “a phase shift”
Now
Everything else works
Like a clockwork (pardon the pun)
If I have to correct it
I have to climb on a chair,
A stepstool, or ladder
And forward it few minutes
Why bother?
There are other clocks
One near the TV, the microwave,
And cellphones
This one
Is for our ambience
And wall decorum
Its second clicks
Are music to my ears
They keep company
During my silent work
On the couch
Father wouldn’t mind
My clumsy workmanship
“I’m glad he remembers me
And my talents still”
Is
A bit finicky
It’s a bit moody
I could not diagnose
Whether it’s the loose contact
Or some other transient erratic
Behavior
When I replaced the battery
It started after a three minute
Delay – so, that is the offset
Or, you might call “a phase shift”
Now
Everything else works
Like a clockwork (pardon the pun)
If I have to correct it
I have to climb on a chair,
A stepstool, or ladder
And forward it few minutes
Why bother?
There are other clocks
One near the TV, the microwave,
And cellphones
This one
Is for our ambience
And wall decorum
Its second clicks
Are music to my ears
They keep company
During my silent work
On the couch
Father wouldn’t mind
My clumsy workmanship
“I’m glad he remembers me
And my talents still”
What a wonderful journey
And learning experience
Through school, college, and varsity
We learned a lot –
Starting from simple pendulum,
Compound pendulum, mechanical
Wristwatches, main spring, hairspring,
Fly wheels, oscillators, the crystal clock,
And now lo, the atomic (Ce) clock
One can keep the atomic clock
Digital Display
On the desktop or laptop by connecting with
The signal from Colorado
A great progress indeed
And, a great education in
Modern Science – such knowledge
Is beyond the mere citadels
Of gold, money, or even the AI
And learning experience
Through school, college, and varsity
We learned a lot –
Starting from simple pendulum,
Compound pendulum, mechanical
Wristwatches, main spring, hairspring,
Fly wheels, oscillators, the crystal clock,
And now lo, the atomic (Ce) clock
One can keep the atomic clock
Digital Display
On the desktop or laptop by connecting with
The signal from Colorado
A great progress indeed
And, a great education in
Modern Science – such knowledge
Is beyond the mere citadels
Of gold, money, or even the AI
Copyright 2026 by the author
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