The Sub-Editor - Seven Spaces

SEVEN PLACES

Can anybody hear me?

Well, here's something I edited earlier (with thanks to A A Milne).

There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew
Who had so many things which he wanted to do
That, whenever he thought it was time to begin,
He couldn't because of the state he was in.

He was shipwrecked; the parallel doesn't end there.
He was out of his depth, exposed and laid bare.
He was lazy, for sure, but that isn't the issue.
Think shame and despair; that might give you a clue.

But, he made the decision to be rid some stuff
Discard all the past that made living so tough.
Discard all the things that got in the way
Just live in the present; live for the day.

As he lay in his bed, he divided the place:
Seven rooms that need clearing to give him some space.
Seven rooms that need clearing to get rid of the dust
To get rid of the dust, well that is a must.

He decided to spend a day on each room;
Get rid of the old; proverbial new broom.
A day on each room; could be done in a week.
But the more he considered it, the more he felt weak.

The more that he thought of the things he should do
The more that his fear and fretfulness grew.
As he thought of the things that he could - just - achieve
He lost faith in the project and failed to believe.

(Back to A A Milne.)



And so in the end he did nothing at all,
But basked in the shingle wrapped up in a shawl.
And I think it was dreadful the way he behaved
He did nothing but bask until he was saved!