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09 November 2017

Poetry Thursday - two busy poems (Watts and Rosen)

How Doth the Little Busy Bee

How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!

How skilfully she builds her cell!
How neat she spreads the wax!
And labors hard to store it well
With the sweet food she makes.

In works of labor or of skill,
I would be busy too;
For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play,
Let my first years be passed,
That I may give for every day
Some good account at last.

--Isaac Watts (1674-1748; preacher, poet, hymn writer)


Image result for Michael Rosen busy day
From: Anthology Year 1 (Treasure House), Collins UK
--Michael Rosen (b.1946; children's novelist, Children's Laureate 2007-2009)

It's a busy week - more in the popping-here-and-there way than involvement "in works of labour or of skill".  Visitors and visiting, cooking (and eating), talking, walking, class, proofreading, exhibitions, having coffee, even a bit of Meaningful Housework (sorting out the broom cupboard). Emails and blogging have rather fallen by the wayside. Everything is jumbled up in my memory, routine is upset, which adds to that busybusy feeling...
It happens sometimes. Unfortunately, busy does not equal effective!

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