Thoughts on a Clock

"Thoughts on a Clock" was a poem by Eric Ritchie Junior. An extract of it went:

And now it's time for one last bow

Like all your other selves

Eleven's hour is over now

The clock is striking twelve's.

This was included in at least one of the Christmas crackers that Linda bought for Christmas. When Clara Oswald brought it to the Eleventh Doctor in the town of Christmas, he was hoping for a "Knock, knock" joke, and was disappointed by the bit of poetry. He claimed not to understand it. (TV: The Time of the Doctor)

There is a version of a complete poem circulating the Internet, and while it is unconfirmed whether this is the complete poem, or who the actual author is, it reads as follows:

For one the journey had just begun

Old but young his time to come

But soon enough the clock struck two

The face must change, the music must too

So two began

And played it cool

To some extent, he was a fool

But time, it waits

For no one now

The clock ticked on to three and how

A dandy time

Spent three in time

But the hour of four was soon to chime

The longest hour was spent at four

But soon enough the clock crept lower

The dance of four began to jive

Passing the floor from four to five

Five began with great aplomb

But time is like a ticking bomb

For five, the times, they went to fast

Soon six was blasting from the past

Six was fresh and played it well

But didn't hear the ringing bell

The chime that brought it to an end

Signalled seven to start it all again

Dear seven

He gave his all for what

The Time Lords time

It did just stop

The bell did toll

For eight once more

But not for long

In Gallifreyan lore

Like hands of ice

That were frozen in time

The clock thawed once more

And struck number nine

So short was the time

That the clock struck on nine

The adventures were cut short

In space and time

But the clock carried on

With a tick and a tock

And soon it was striking

Upon ten o'clock

The tenth hour was long

With a rich, honest glow

But ten's time was up

He just didn't want to go

But time waits for no man

Old one or young

And ten became eleven

The final countdown begun

And now it's time for one last bow

Like all your other selves

Eleven's hour is over now

The clock is striking twelve's