“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”
William Henry Davies, Leisure
How much I like to stand and stare,
find a quiet moment to do nothing
and be dreamy
Let laziness get hold of me
abandon any will
to achieve anything
revel on inner peace
and softness of being
But I don’t want to forget
how caring can also be pleasant
caring with your own hands
make, repair, mend, bake
bath a baby, sort the laundry
prepare a meal
Caring too with your mind and heart:
organise, manage, make stuff happen
like you would plant and care for a seed
imagine and deploy a project
Stare and care
like you breath in and out
like you walk right and left
like a danse
like a feast
John Constable, The Cottage in a Cornfield, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
