Poem: Speeding To A Stop
When I wrote this poem I had been sat at my laptop trying to force the words out. I should know better than anyone that the well runs dry and no amount of rain dances will fill it back up again (yes it is raining as I write this!). The thing is, I had allocated myself this 3-hour block before I go to work to actually do something productive on the blog. To write something that isn’t a review. To wax lyrical on a topic I haven’t been paid to write, even though they are my own thoughts and words and still a blog post!
But I have been so busy writing for others and writing about Ariel and Jonny that there really hasn’t been much time for anything else. But would it be so bad if I didn’t write anything in those 3 hours? If I just downed tools and said, thanks but no thanks I’m going to sit this one out? Would my blog come crashing down before my eyes? Is it OK to just stop and smell the (metaphorical) roses?
So I took myself off. Away from the laptop. Away from the kitchen. Just away. My white chair spun on its itself as I moved from my seat. It sat lonely and abandoned amidst the black of my kitchen like a forlorn puppy missing its owner. But nothing good would happen whilst I stayed there. Everything would just have to wait. For 1 minute? 5 minutes? A whole hour?
It turns out it was a 10 minutes break and a few games of emoji blitz on the phone that cleared the cobwebs and gave me this little poem below. I’m still new to writing poetry, still learning, as I am with my stories, so any constructive feedback greatly appreciated as always. Enjoy!
Speeding To A Stop.
Every single spare minute is full
Life jam packed.
Every drop squeezed out
Make sure we are living to the fullest.
No time to stop,
no time to rest.
Just simply no time.
Not enough time.
The sand is falling and soon it’s going to be too late.
Run,
hurry,
speed.
Do what needs to be done.
Or else……
Or else what?
What will happen?
What if we waste that second?
That minute?
Will it be a loss?
To sit.
To stop.
Pause,
For a moment or two
Would you like to sit with me for few?
To enjoy the silence,
Breathe in the calm.
To reset yourself.
Before the play button is pressed
Is pressed once more.
And off we go a million miles an hour
Doing, being, rushing, seeking
So sit here with me a while
Have a rest and just be.
For in a minute there will be another minute
To hasten and speed off on your way
But there won’t be this minute
To stop and enjoy
And to truly savour
What these precious moments are actually for.
As you come speeding to a stop.
Comments
I just spent a lovely week slowing down with the family on a holiday! I know have so much more to bring to the writing table! Brilliant! Thanks, #kcacols xoxo
I love this poem and really needed to read this now, today, this minute. Thank you! You have no idea how helpful you have been! M’wah! #kcacols
Oh I’m unsure if my comment went through! I don’t see it? I said I am guilty of rushing around way too much and never simply living in the moment. #kcacols
I think most of us will relate to that poem. Totally how I feel as we approach the end of the school year, where does the time go eh?#KCACOLS
Love this for soooo many people can relate! Life seems to be whizzing by now that I am a parent and sometimes we need to just slow down as opposed to being in autopilot mode! #KCACOLS
Lovely! I’m always trying to do too many things and it’s really not good for the mental or physical health #KCACOLS
this is exactly the type of poem I would have read aloud in my high school poetry class. #KCACOLS
We all need to slow down – especially bloggers! #KCACOLS
Something I can totally relate to. Think we could all do with slowing down and bit and smelling the roses! #KCACOLS
Life is so fast paced isn’t it, it’s so important to take time to stop sometimes. Keep up the writing #KCACOLS
I really love this – I keep telling myself that I need to slow down sometimes and not go at one speed! Love that you are trying something new too #KCACOLS xx
I used to Sit and write poetry before I started blogging – you’ve inspired me to take a bit of time out at start again! #kcacols
there is a lot to be said for slowing life down. I read a fab quote this morning – that people aren’t too busy all the time, they just don’t prioritize. I liked that. #KCACOLS
Life does race by and I can’t believe how much my children change each day. I feel like I’ve forgotten so much of their lives 🙁 #kcacols
This is a lovely poem. I realised the benefit of stopping for a moment today – my husband looked after our little girl while I sat on my own in the sun for an hour or so, and I managed to clear my head for the first time in months. It’s done me the world of good! I definitely intend to do it more often. #kcacols
Lovely poem. “Me time” is so important. #KCACOLS
Yes this is me! I hardly get a second to sit down these days before someone needs something! X #kcacols
This is so relatable especially now im back at work. Looking forward to our week away soon to slow down. #KCACOLS
I’m currently sitting here thinking that I should be writing, but seemingly with nothing to say. Sometimes the best thing to do is to just walk away for a bit! #KCACOLS
This is so relatable! I’ve sat down so many times to write because I feel I should but sometimes just nothing comes and it makes me so anxious. I need to learn to walk away from it more. #kcacols
What a beautiful poem, really connected with it! #KCACOLS
I definitely need to slow down a little! x #KCACOLS
Good poem, I like it a lot. I think you need to decide on a consistent use of punctuation though. there are lines that start with capital letters even though the line before had no period. Little things like that. A good tip is to always read it out loud to yourself. And to leave it and come back to it a few hours or a few days later to edit. #kcacols
It’s a good reminder that we are allowed to stop and take some time off from time to time. The world will keep going even if we just stop for a few moments x
#KCACOLS
I love this, it perfect captures how I’m feeling at the minute. Monday mornings are my usual writing time as it’s the only time L is in nursery and the house is quiet, but yesterday I sat there staring at the screen completely exhausted and nothing would come. In the end I gave myself permission to just take some time out for me for a change. I kept feeling guilty about it but had to remind myself that the world would not come crashing down just because I took a morning off x
#KCACOLS
Really lovely poem, I wish that I could write poems like that. I’m rubbish at poetry! #KCACOLS
We could all benefit from slowing the pace a bit I’m sure. One way we do that is to read books together, there’s always time for books in our house and they can’t be rushed! #KCACOLS
Lovely poem. I wish I could write poetry! #KCACOLS
Wonderful Tracey. This sums up so many of our lives beautifully.
#KCACOLS
Absolutely, I also wrote a post about just making time for US! To sit and be still, it is SO SO important #KCACOLS
THE POST INCASE YOU FANCY A READ
I really liked the poem. It really speaks to how many of us feel these days. All of this technology meant to save us time but instead making us feel like we must be constantly productive. Keep writing the poetry – you have a talent. If you want to read other modern poets for inspiration, a really good friend of mine is a published poet. Google “Andrew Jarvis poet” if you’re interested. He writes a lot about loss and changes across generations. #kcacols
Ooh very poignant last line, I like it, well done. Keep writing 🙂 #KCACOLS
We so needed to slow down and enjoy this family. Now we have been on the road for two weeks and we are ready to get back into go mode.
#KCACOLS
I loved this definitely so true for me I really need to slow down! #kcacols
What a lovely poem. I can identify. I feel like my life has been on fast forward since my son was born. It’s slowed slightly since I got pregnant again but I know it’s going to fly when this one has been born. #KCACOLS
It’s so important to remember that we take time to realise these things. We can get caught up in all the wrong things sometimes can’t we? #KCACOLS
What a lovely poem and so true! Life just needs to slow down sometimes! #kcacols
I’ve written a few poems and it’s funny as they just flow don’t they? Well done… I know how you feel! #kcacols
I LOVE this poem. I’m NOT usually a poem reader, but this one I understood and appreciated. It truly sums up what I want my blog to be about. I want my readers to slow down and appreciate their moments with their families and during their “me time.”
I’m not really a poet nor do I read much poetry but I completely understand how you’re feeling! #KCACOLS
Great poem and reminder that we should all just take a minute to relax and reflect. #KCACOLS.
This is lovely, I wish I could write poetry. It’s really good!
#KCACOLS
I like, I don’t read poetry much so this was lovely #kcacols
This is a lovely poem. The words really have pace. I can feel the business as I read it. Pen x #KCACOLS
Love this. As a fellow poet I found myself guessing the next line as I read it so it was a pleasant surprise that the line wasn’t what I predicted. Still need to catch up on your saltlakes series too. I think I have the last two episodes to enjoy
#KCACOLS