A Moment Gone

One instant it is here, the next it's gone;
Falling far behind and far away.
A moment's inattention, then it's done -
Gone! Gone and never here to stay.
One minute here it is, but then it's not;
One second for a fish to snatch the bait,
It flashes, dives, and now cannot be caught;
Gone! Time will never pause or wait.
One single chance to grasp it, then no more,
The opportunity now disappears.
The boat can never touch back on the shore,
Its helm can never touch back on the pier.
Goodbye to moments lost and never found,
but greet the coming times that still abound.