Leisure by W H Davies

'What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand & stare.'

During our schooldays we were taught this wonderful poem by W H Davies.

We, as a generation have been very busy all our Lives. During schooldays we would wonder when we will find time in our lives to 

' stand beneath the boughs 

& stare as long as sheep or cows' 

as Mr Davies had written. But it was not to be , as we were very busy in our competitive world, trying to be on top of our little world, thinking getting a little spare time is just around the corner , when we could find time 

' to see where squirells hide their nuts in grass .'

 But we never understood when time slipped out of our hands & we were a part of the jet paced generation ,strategising, planning, steering our lives to be at par with the best of the successful world. 

But during all this we had forgotten our dreams to follow the life of leisure as envisioned by W H Davies . We had become machines churning out success after success.

Suddenly life took a horrible turn & the jet paced world came to a standstill. Nature dealt a thundering blow & ironically  we were left with all the time in the world. Corona struck & left the world in a situation never thought of. Who would have thought that in this modern world, in this advanced world, where cure for all diseases was available, a day would come when all the high & mighty, all the rich & poor would come down to one level & enclose themselves in their own private world. If struck by the virus, there was no rich or poor. Everyone was left with fighting for their lives. Life, as we were used to, suddenly came to a standstill  & we were left with enough time to while away our time. Suddenly I remembered my favourite poem.

We had all the time in the world to do what we wanted. But there was a twist, a very mean twist to the tale , written & directed by nature. We now have all the time in the world to live according to our dream poem , but  can we? Suddenly we find ourselves enclsed in our homes, far away from enjoying the beauty of nature, far away from  living out the dream that we have lived with all our life.  Every step out of our home is danger. There is death all over the world. We are safe only in our homes.We are once again left with the conclusion that we however powerful Man becomes , he is helpless against nature. And once again I remember the last lines of the poem

'A poor life this, if full of care,

There is no time to stand & stare'