Putting The Clocks Back

It is odd how we talk about 'gaining an hour' this weekend - when in fact it is just making up for the hour we 'lost' in the Spring. Time rolls on, whatever we do. Joyce Grenfell wrote this great poem, simply called Time...

When I was a girl there was always time,

There was always time to spare.

There was always time to sit in the sun;

And we were never done

With lazing and flirting,

And doing our embroidery,

And keeping up our memory books,

And brushing our hair,

And writing little notes,

And going on picnics,

And dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing--

When I was a girl there was always time to waste.

Thank the Lord.

When I was a young woman there was always time,

There was always time to spare.

There was always time to walk in the sun,

And we were never done

With going to weddings,

Our own and our friends',

And going to parties,

Away at weekends,

And having our children

And bringing them up,

And talking, talking, talking, talking--

When I was a young woman there was always time to enjoy things.

Thank the Lord.

And when I was an elderly woman there was no more time,

There was no more time to spare.

There was no more time to sit in the sun,

For we were never done

With answering the telephone,

And looking at the TV,

And doing baby-sitting,

And talking to our friends,

And shopping, shopping, shopping, shopping,

And washing-up, washing-up, washing-up,

Writing letters, writing letters

Rushing, rushing, rushing,

And we were always hurried,

And we were never bored.

When I was an elderly woman

There was never time to think.

Thank the Lord.

But now I'm an old old woman,

So I want the last word:

There is no such thing as time--

Only this very minute

And I'm in it.

Thank the Lord.

I think I am at verse 3 these days, but at every stage of life, I have learned to thank the Lord for his blessings.