Apart

My young nephew Blue
once saw my little clock;
"Uncle, Uncle!" did he cry
"What's this funny Spring do?"

"It doesn't click,
It doesn't tick;
What use is this Spring?

It just sits and whirls,
Twangs and twirls;
It doesn't do a thing!"

So I said, with a little doubt
"Why not we just take it out?"
And so we did, with utmost care
removed the Spring from its lair.

The Clock hands whirled,
The Gears turned on;
For a while it seemed
nothing went wrong.

When suddenly, there came
A mighty Pop!
the Gears ceased turning
and the Clock hands stopped;

We stared in amazement
and put the spring back;
soon the Clock was back on track.

"What a strange little Spring"
I said to me;
It does nothing--
for the eyes to see.

Yet deep down inside
where the Gears still spin;
it remains Apart, yet a Part
a Part of their kin.