Slow Dance

Holly forwarded this to me. It's a great poem and in response to an earlier post where I complained about not having some overwhelming manifestation of excellence when finishing school. I had a lot of other thoughts in regards to my earlier comments, but for the most part... this poem sums it up.

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,

Or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,

Or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,

Time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,

When you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,

With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,

Time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,

And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,

'Cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,

Time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It's like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn't a race, so take it slower,

Hear the music before your song is over.

-David L. Weatherford, 1991