Many working parts that make up the whole. Well-oiled, they run smoothly. They tell time, they read the signs of the times.
One part is off, the whole system is off. We can’t keep time. We are out of step, out of rhythm, out of time.
You tick. I tock. You no longer tick, I get ticked off. What makes you tick? I’ll tell you what, if you promise not to be alarmed, if you promise to give me a big tick. The human clock keeps ticking until your ticker stops.