Time Master

TIME can stun an unsuspecting person, so I will be generous and give extra hours to philosophers to read and reflect, to clarify and compose, hours that are now theirs by my decision, by my power. And next I authorize the dispersal of time in excess to gardeners, so they can pause in early afternoon, after a morning of hard work, and simply stare at Nature's plenty, secure in their success. And the same goes to those sturdy builders, whose pride of being is our great city's walls, our defense against a savagery in other tribes that sinks below the level of beasts, so base is their greed for conquest. And the children! Oh, don't let me forget the children! Gather around me, dear children. Your ruddy faces look healthy with delight. To you I assign those random seconds and minutes that adults carelessly disgard. Enjoy! But I reserve extra days and weeks that pile up like disgarded treasures to the POETS of our city, our chronicles, our living Memories are safe with them. Poets, every one of you, we see your struggles, waiting through long hours for the Muses' Call. As long as I am Time Master, as long as all of you trust me to serve our city, I will honor the Poets with a special share of time: they will live a twenty-eight hour instead of our two dozen hours. Poets, ply your trade, sing your songs, make us rich in visions!