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.
I’ve loved this William Henry Davis poem ever since I was a little girl. I was first introduced to it at primary school; I must have been about eight. I learnt the poem off by heart and it has stayed with me all my life. The poem is particularly important to be at the moment, I am slowly, slowly, reconnecting with my making and trying slowly, slowly to slow down. I’m making the effort to stand and stare, each and every day; to stop and watch as the world goes by, to notice the small details that can be so easily missed; the squirrels and the stars...
Make sure you take some time out to stand and stare this weekend…
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