"Leisure"
by William Henry 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 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.
- Recently, my father kept on repeating this poem into my ears.
- Is that sarcasm ?! He knows that I have an upcoming STPM examination.
- And yet he tells me to stand and stare !
- But I know he meant to say I should just relax and don't stress up.
- "You have higher mountains to climb, girl. This is just a small hill. Buck up now."
- And that is my lovely father, always there to slap some sense into me.
- What am I doing now? I'm just going to stand and stare into oblivion....
