My interest in poetry was sparked early on at secondary school by our English teacher who introduced us to the work of Welsh poet W H Davies. In his younger years as a tramp, Davies had travelled extensively across the United Kingdom and the United States. This is a portion of that poem;"What is this life if, full of careWe have no time to stand and stare ... ..A poor life this if, full of careWe have no time to stand and stare." Irish poet W. B. Yates was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923. As suggested by W. H. Davies even amidst the busyness of our lives, it is worth finding time to stand and stare.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 01, 2026 16:01 UTC