Making Time to Stand and Stare

A couple of nights back, in his half-asleep, half-drugged state, the husband suddenly burst into this poem 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 is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

I jumped up in panic as he rattled on, and stood and stared at him. I feared he was delusional from his medicines, or worse, I suspected he had been possessed by some poetic spirit. Poetry and him don't go together, that too poetry recited from memory is just taking it too far into the realms of impossibility. But I soon realized he wasn't possessed or delusional, just being his goofy self in trying to distract me from my reading. And he was forced to "by-heart" this poem when he was in school. However, he claims it made an "impact" on him.

But for once, in a totally nonchalant and unintentional way, he related a few words of wisdom that are quite fitting to this generation. I currently have been making time to stand and stare (figuratively and sometimes literally), and engage in several non-productive albeit enjoyable, leisurely activities, such as blogging, but I wish in the coming new year (and decade), I will continue to remember to make time to pause, and smell the roses (so to speak) and indulge in simple pleasures.

A very happy new year to all my kind readers! May all of you always find the time to smile and be happy :)

Ah yes, I finally made the time to bake cookies that smile ;)