No time!

W. H. Davies was an interesting man. As far as I am concerned, he is the reason I started appreciating poetry.

He was born to an iron-moulder; his dad died when he was very young, and his grandparents brought him up. His life was from “delinquent to super-tramp”, as the Wikipedia page on him says. I am not going to summarise that page anymore!

He wrote a lot about nature – which is why I like him so much, I guess. The nicest thing is that his style is so clean, so simple, the meaning is direct and on the face. He has something to say, and he says it, and that’s it. This is the first poem of his that I read. In fact, it’s the first poem I ever read and enjoyed.

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.