After Work
No deadlines no start times
No bleating alarm
No dragged from your bedtime
Reluctant awake time
No one to be waiting and tapping his watch
Inspector to grade you with shaking of head
No parent to glower and lodge a complaint
No tests to be taken
League tables to dread
All of it gone as you walked out the door
The emails the phone calls the forms to be filled
The in tray now empty, the urgency fled
As you walked from that life time
And out of the door
No Orpheus glancing, a new life before
The future a jigsaw without a design
A digital game where the choice is all yours
To sleep with the owl or to rise with the lark?
In town or in country, engage or retreat?
No statement of mission no template to fit
Organic, responsive, create your own life
Write personal guidelines for what you have left
Tomorrow’s tomorrow, who knows where it ends?
One day at a time and guided by love
Some idling some laughing
Some serious some play
Making a mark in a garden or home
On canvas on paper with brush and with pen
Mindful of others, attending their needs
Less of the left-brain and more of the right
The mission the vision the ethos shall be
One day at a time and guided by love
Hounoux 15th July 2009
No deadlines no start times
No bleating alarm
No dragged from your bedtime
Reluctant awake time
No one to be waiting and tapping his watch
Inspector to grade you with shaking of head
No parent to glower and lodge a complaint
No tests to be taken
League tables to dread
All of it gone as you walked out the door
The emails the phone calls the forms to be filled
The in tray now empty, the urgency fled
As you walked from that life time
And out of the door
No Orpheus glancing, a new life before
The future a jigsaw without a design
A digital game where the choice is all yours
To sleep with the owl or to rise with the lark?
In town or in country, engage or retreat?
No statement of mission no template to fit
Organic, responsive, create your own life
Write personal guidelines for what you have left
Tomorrow’s tomorrow, who knows where it ends?
One day at a time and guided by love
Some idling some laughing
Some serious some play
Making a mark in a garden or home
On canvas on paper with brush and with pen
Mindful of others, attending their needs
Less of the left-brain and more of the right
The mission the vision the ethos shall be
One day at a time and guided by love
Hounoux 15th July 2009
This is very timely Sally as I cope with the transition from work to a, hopefully, more relaxed future.It's giving oneself permission isn't it? There are two people I'd like to share this with-Gwyn and My sister Jan?
ReplyDeleteI shall henceforth endeavour to move into the next phase of life one step at a time. I found this poem quite comforting and I love the way it flows- I keep rereading it.
Am really happy for you to share of course Pam. As you know I have struggled on and off in the five years since retiring with the big questions- What is my life really about, do I have any purpose, was that it then, my career?? etc etc. Having Linda, ex-Head also, here for a week was a great help as we were both reflecting on life without really discussing it directly, and it was out of this that the poem came. Love as always xxx
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