Leisure

Tillerman's post on his decade prompted me to remember this from 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 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.

Having said that as posted earlier, it is ever harder to squeeze in work, family, friends, sailing, kayaking, blogging, writing, walking, running, and all the rest of a busy life into the 24 hours of a day.

But you don't need long to stand and stare. I remember when at the Tsminda Sameba Church my guide was suggesting it was time to return to Tbilisi but I asked for another 5 minutes.

Ok it was more like 10, but that was enough to engrave that moment, that place, that feeling into my memory.

More standing, more staring. An unconventional resolution but maybe it would be a good one.

But harder to stick to when work is such an important part of our culture, and so financially necessary!