Thinking of poets from my home area I thought of W H Davies from Newport, where I was born, who is remembered chiefly for two lines he wrote that begin the poem Leisure. He was also the author of The Autobiography of a Supertramp relating his exoperiences tramping around the American continent. See Wikipedia article here.
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.
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 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.
2 comments:
Have you read Autobiography of a supertramp?
I have. It's an interesting story of life on the road in the early 20th Century. There was a fascination with low life at that time I guess and Davies explores it.
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