Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
by William Henry Davies
12 comments:
Excellent choice. I try to remember that advice. Hope you have something worthy to stop and stare at.
Cheers and Happy All Hallows,
Kat
This is such a lovely one, Alistair. very poignant too - so true. No life at all if we choose not to look around us at the beauty.
Lovely Al. Found myself taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh after reading that. Just lovely.
My curiosity is one of my best qualities. Thanks for reminding me.
Leisure is really important. Just yesterday, early in the morning, I dropped my husband off at work. It was a beautiful morning, but it was going to be a busy day. I stood by the lake for a few minutes and 'stared' at the water, the mountains and the birds practising for their flight south. After the business of the day, running around the city doing errands with the kids, baking and cooking, etc. I was glad I had that little window of leisure at the beginning of the day, and I stopped a couple of times to look back through it, so to speak.
How very true. I read this at a school fair when I was about 10
Thanks all - you too TSB!
Sorry Alistair, I was especially grumpy this morning as Ringo had just texted me to say he was off sick and given me a very long list of instructions which I promptly binned.
Is this better?
"Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love."
Dinnae be sorry. I know how grumpy and frustrated I can be, so I got it. I definitely got it. But this blog isn't as blunt and in-yer-face as some so I thought better to pass this time.
This ones not better - but certainly more pc....
Thanks for coming back on it. In hindsight, this perhaps wasn't a poem most fitting for your situation under the circumstances you describe.
I hope the rest of the week doesn't go the same way for you!
Cheers
This bit of poetry surely vindicates my life-long habit of losing track of time as I stare and ponder. I'm glad it can be seen as a positive attribute!
I've been called "weird" for stopping and staring at nature. This poem reminds me of my accomplishments.
I thinks it's the norm myself. I've always stared - from being a wee boy peering into seaside rock pools or a teenager scoping out the peaty water of a highland river for that potential salmon to the me who can stand fascinated for hours watching birds come to the feeders in the garden. People who find it 'weird' are usually lacking in many more ways than most if they can't appreciate time spent this way isn't wasted.
thanks to you both.
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