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Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins Lyrics by Derek Walcott

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Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins
that shrivels fountains, had exhausted him;
a cupola in Milan exhaled him like incense,
Abruzzi devoured him, Firenze spat him out,
Rome chewed his arm and flung it over his shoulder
for the rats in the catacombs; Rome took his empty eyes
from the sockets of the Colosseum. Italy ate him.
Its bats at vespers navigated her columns
with an ancient elation, a hand in San Marco’s font
aspersed him with foul canal water, then bells
tossed their heads like bulls, and their joy
rattled the campaniles, as innumerable pigeons
settled on the square of his forehead, his kidneys
were served in a modest hotel in Pescara,
a fish mimicked his skeleton in Salty Amalfi
until after a while there was nothing left of him
except this: a name cut on a wall that soon
from the grime of indifference became indecipherable.
Credits
Derek Walcott

Derek Walcott

About “Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins” by Derek Walcott

Read the complete lyrics to "Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins" by Derek Walcott. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins" is performed by Derek Walcott. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins", explore more songs by Derek Walcott using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"Time, that gnaws at bronze lions and dolphins" is credited to Derek Walcott. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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