Simple pleasures
I finally found time
for life’s simple pleasures.
No rush hour, no traffic jams!
No deadlines, no infinite queues!
No annoying haste between meetings
Or skimping on lunch!
I finally found time
to grow vegetables,
and bird-watch from my balcony.
Finally, I could clean tired closets,
slowly,
repair overflowing drawers, absentmindedly,
restore weary, dodgy appliances, carefully,
and even trim lint from experienced carpets.
I finally found time,
to potter about – and do absolutely nothing, without much guilt.
I finally found time to watch time passing – those days when it strolled by so slowly I could touch it.
I finally found time to watch old movies, to consume the sounds of my children playing; to referee their fights in slow-motion,
then watch them make up in seconds without holding grudges.
I finally found time to appreciate pieces of art loitering on my walls;
To dissect lyrics of old loved songs and explore the rhythms of irresistible dances.
I finally found time to play Scrabble, to lose myself in word searches, while listening to the hushed, mellow music or birds.
I finally found time to probe the probing light on my nosy Amazon echo and to watch life lived on the internet.
I finally found time, amidst the pain, the tedious and preventable anguish, the loss and the unsighted goodbyes…
to recall life’s simple pleasures –
those sweet, irreplaceable moments, the tactile treasures, which had slipped from view – before lockdown.
I finally found time to taste life; to drink unhurriedly, the enticing smells of freshly baked banana bread, and to eat the aroma of a brisk tea;
to linger aimlessly over breakfast, to relearn to play the guitar, speak in tongues,
and read that novel poised on the bookshelf
calling,
inviting me to write stories once frozen in time.
Ah!
I finally have time, to take my time; to breathe; and to take long deep breaths
and just finally take in
life’s simple pleasures…
Oozes with blessedness or discovery of what really should matter as punctuation marks of the long or short journey of life …
Elegant, precise and evocative …
Beauty is the stepstone for a long and marvelous life.
Reading your words give a lot of strength to run forward …
A poem that’s good for thought in these trying times. Well written with powerful thoughts.
What a sense of the beautiful, sacred and sublime moments tucked within all of life and waiting to be discovered does this poem convey!!
Beautiful! I can relate!
Beautifully done! A masterpiece indeed! Hopefully if we are not already there, we can aspire to getting there sooner rather than later.
A wonderful three dimensional picture painted by an incredible wordsmith with the right choice of words. You excel yourself….again
A visualisation of life’s simple pleasures Dr Issac. You brought out the beauty in all that we take for granted in our everyday lives. You do so eloquently by tapping in on all our senses. Thank you, as always, for sharing.
Beautifully penned. Honestly, I don’t think you have missed any one of what humankind treats as ‘simple pleasures’ 👏👏👌. Working on these simple pleasures, I’m sure will go a long way in making the world a better place for all of us. I sincerely feel the world will be a much better place, post COVID. Thanks once again for this verbal treat 👏👏👏🤗
Thank you, Sebastian.
Such a masterpiece. I can relate to so many of your experiences. Cooking from old recipes to creating my own. Those simple pleasures will be lasting memories. I really enjoyed reading your poem.
I long to enjoy those simple pleasures. Only if I had the opportunity – but alas… I plod on and hope to get to that point. Beautifully penned as always and you never disappoint. Janet
How very kind and indeed poetic.
Loved it.
“I finally found time to appreciate pieces of art loitering on my walls”… resonates so much.
Thank you for reminding us that there is another side to the coin of life, the side we miss as we rush through the jungle to achieve, to succeed. Thank you for reminding us of what really matters. Well written