Birthday blog – Take Time and Thank Water
Leisure
By Welsh poet W. H. Davies
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.
Value water and use your local waterways for a walk, a coastal swim or a stand-up-paddle;
Learn about your local catchment and body of water and go explore;
Think about joining your local citizen science group or river trust;
Clean up a shoreline;
Un-clog the storm drain after a rain in the autumn, when they fill with leaves;
Use the 20 seconds to wash your hands carefully and while doing so, sing Happy Birthday today for a friend, and say thank you to water.