Revision

I'm going to state the challenge for today as it is given, otherwise it may get lost in translation, so to speak. The challenge is inspired by revising poetry.

'First, find a poem in a book or magazine (ideally one you are not familiar with). Use a piece of paper to cover over everything but the last line. Now write a line of your own that completes the thought of that single line you can see, or otherwise responds to it. Now move your piece of paper up to uncover the second-to-last line of your source poem, and write the second line of your new poem to complete/respond to this second-to-last line. Keep going, uncovering and writing, until you get to the first line of your source poem, which you will complete/respond to as the last line of your new poem. It might not be a finished draft, but hopefully it at least contains the seeds of one.'

I've chosen to 'revise' Leisure by W.H. Davies

No time

We only have time to work –

Indeed, it's a poor life, full of care

Smiling, her eyes began to wander

If she had time to smile

She loved to dance,

Yet she had no time for such beauty

Trees full of whispers like a butterfly's flight,

There's no time to listen, day or night

Where trees grow from hidden seeds,

There's no time to see them grow

We only stare at our screens,

There's no time to take in different scenes

We only have time to work –

Indeed, it's a poor life, full of care