Leisure
W.H. Davies

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 and 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.

my friend was looking for this poem and im glad she did. i had heard of this before somewhere and just had to look for it or else be constantly irritated by not knowing the full version as well as the poet responsible for this melancholic poem.

how timely did the poem come too. a much needed reminder.

simply put, the poet here is lamenting about not being able to appreciate nature due to a lack of time. this was written during the 19th century hence the main focus on the wonders of nature.

despite being in the 21st century, we still can apply his words to our lives. we need to know when to stop and find time to "stand and stare". much more than that, our standing and staring shouldn't be, in very local terms, "stoning" but rather to appreciate the things around us. i suppose the people around us more appropriate than nature, as was for the poet, especially since Singapore is pretty much a concrete jungle.

so do heed to advice of a dead man. haha. dont burn out and take the time to stop and smell the roses. live a life rich with experiences and love, not a "poor life" ridden with care.