My most favourite poems is ‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare. I have loved it since I was very young, one of its themes being opportunity lost.
‘Tell them I came, and no-one answered
That I kept my word, he said…”
How often are we rushing so much that it is only when we lose what we treasure so much, that we realise we had not treasured it at all?
One of the other poems that has always inspired me, that I hear myself quote quite often, is the poem ‘Leisure’ by W H Davies.
‘What is this life, if full of care
We have no time to stand and stare?’
(If you would like to read it then I have added it to the bottom of this post.)
I also read a post today about social media, and how people take it literally, making them feel anxious and inadequate. In it the writer reflected on how years ago people had time for quiet contemplation, time to think without the bombardment of the world attacking them all the time. In fact years ago (many) when I was at school, we had a library session every week to just sit and read in silence. At the time I hated it, now I would embrace it!
All of this got me thinking and I realised that when I started to ‘plan’ in my diary/planner for this year I had not given myself any time to ‘stop and stare’. No time out, to just play with my puppies, even though I cherish every day because I know their lives are too short, and I should treasure every moment.
I also know that when I was ill that was all I was ‘allowed’ to do was stop and relax, because my brain had become totally overloaded, and I had lost the ability to stop thinking!
The wonderful Deepak Chopra tells us to set aside a little time each day to experience silence, and contemplation at the very beginning of ‘The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success’.
So I have crossed out my day chocked full of things to do, and I have written in between my jobs and aspirations, ‘play with dogs’, take dogs for a walk, sit in silence, and I have given myself ‘space’ each day.
Do you?
Moisy
WH Davies – 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 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.
Off By Heart
bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/offbyheart BBC©2008
Rosie’sFrenchAdventuresandIrish Shenanigans.com 
Just talking today about a trip we are taking. Foolish really. But bottom line, take the time. Make the trip. Stand and stare. It may be your last chance!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely, I have to remind myself to do do that every day.
Moisy
LikeLiked by 1 person
You raise some really important thoughts here, Moisy. I always thought that once I retired that I would finally have so much time to do everything I wanted. In some respects that’s been true, but in reality new things simply took the place of my old job. So I still struggle with keeping up with what was always my number one goal in retirement: pleasure reading.
One thing that you touched upon that I can’t underscore enough is social media. What a time waster! I finally got off Facebook for good. I’ll never go back to it. I feel as if I got my life back.
Love the poem… “stand and stare.” – Marty
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Marty. Sadly with a book to promote and an Etsy shop social media is de rigueur for me, but I am aware. Sometimes I think to myself whoever wrote ‘ The Matrix’ had it right!
I love that poem, I came across it when my son was young ( I read a lot of poetry to him, he had a poem published when he was 12!). For me it says it all, but ‘ The Listeners’ will always be my favourite.
Moisy
LikeLiked by 1 person