Clock Counting: Poems

by A.F. King

Fifty-six poems, accumulated and rock-tumbled across a tumultuous decade, then carefully polished to humbly present to you, here, now.

Inside, you will encounter poems of varied tones and styles, with subject matter including, but not limited to: black holes and bright dots, devils and angels, irises and viruses, the rise and fall of romances and friendships, mental illness, the wonders of theoretical mathematics, obituarial instructions, a few odd odes, and a hate-poem about (against?) the month of February.

It would behoove you to remember: thinking about thinking is quite useful when done sparingly.

Genres: Poetry, LGBT, Queer

87 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2025

About the author

A.F. King is a software engineer originally from the Washington, D.C. area and now residing in San Diego, California. He is passionate about sushi, fitness, language, and theoretical mathematics. He sincerely thanks you for, and simultaneously cringes at the thought of, your reading his poems.

Explore the Clock Counting Digital Companion at afkingpoetry.com where you can hear author narrations of each poem, explore contextual notes and bonus material, and discover more behind the collection.

Reviews

[Sirah]

Clock Counting blends a lot of feelings with a bit of math and science, creating a sense that a lot is going on, but not a lot is happening to us. Many of these poems touched me deeply, particularly the one about bumper cars (haunting, truly). I struggled a little with the poems that referenced mathematics, as I'd never heard of some of these theories or intelligent people before. But I would still recommend this poetry volume; no collected work ever has 100% 5-star reads, but this one had many more that I found resonant than not.

Thank you to A.F. King and BookSirens for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Stephanie]

Did I expect to become acquainted with A.F. King? Not all things are as expected.
Nor did I expect to get mathematical poetry, but there is a first time for it all.

With an open mind, A.F. King gives an entertaining read. Topics become heavy and super intrusive.

Give this a read over and pass it along.

[Kelsey Frederick]

I’m not a huge poetry gal usually, but I enjoyed these poems for sure. Some were heartfelt, some relatable, some were confusing (could have been me lol), some thought provoking, and most were funny.

[Victoria]

These poems were beautiful. I really enjoyed them!

[Sarah Sims]

First poem starts “anyone with darkness knows it's not something that goes away.” and I knew I had to read. King’s poems span space and time, drawing from experiences throughout his life and in places like New Haven, Paris, and Saudi Arabia; giving us insight into both his internal world and the external world surrounding him. The poems deal with a wide variety of experience making them relatable to many: the queer experience, perceived injustices of childhood (like a prohibition on picking up glass shards), mental illness, and drug use to name a few.
In addition to a wide range of topics, King employs a variety of poetic forms including some lovely examples of concrete poems shaping the page beautifully. In addition, the occasional note is appended giving context to poems mentioning especially obscure topics, which I always appreciate as a reader as it keeps me from getting distracted by a wikipedia dive (until I’ve finished reading and decide to learn more).
Overall I enjoyed the collection and would recommend it with the caveat that it does deal with some sensitive topics so readers should be aware of triggers (largely listed above although I wouldn’t rely solely on the list of topics given for trigger warnings).
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*