The last second

of the twelfth hour

of the last day

of that year came 

and went, unheralded.

Hands on clocks faces 

stood to attention

perfectly upright—

but were not saluted 

and so swept on.

The passage 

from morning to afternoon

could not be heard 

in every corner of

the City of San Francisco.

Midnight, of course,

was another matter,

counted down, shouted out,

rung in.

Still, at the stroke of noon

I observed the moment of silence

in memoriam of 

that auld acquaintance

the city forgot

the outdoor

warning

siren