Share this poem:
Susan Williams
Poems by Susan Williams : 7 / 74
A Scrap Of Time - Poem by Susan Williams
I need to find time-
a scrap of time
unnoticed
by the demands of everyday life
that chews up every morsel of time it can find.
I want to meditate on these stray birds of thought-
I want to know that my life
was more than washing dishes
and waiting for the phone to ring
bearing news of joy or sorrow.
Read this poem in other languages
Poem Submitted: Thursday, January 28, 2016
Susan Williams's Other Poems
Related Poems
Famous Poems
-
Phenomenal Woman
Maya Angelou
-
Still I Rise
Maya Angelou
-
The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost
-
If You Forget Me
Pablo Neruda
-
Dreams
Langston Hughes
-
Annabel Lee
Edgar Allan Poe
-
Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
-
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
-
If
Rudyard Kipling
-
A Dream Within A Dream
Edgar Allan Poe
Thanks for sharing Miss Williams. I probably went too far with the analysis, but I really enjoyed the poem: -) (Report) Reply
Someone loved is in a place of distress (probably seriously ill) , or maybe something else is at stake. Uncertainty abound. The speaker of the poem is devastated with this condition, so she hopes that the restrictions of time did no longer apply at all. If that happens, she could either fix the crisis or maybe go back in time to let it happen in the first place. (Report) Reply
So, finally, does it mean it is more about a person hoping to break the shackles of Time, and free themselves from the restrictions?
Perhaps, couple that with the waiting for the phone call, and a final picture arises: (Report) Reply
C) Stray birds, in numerous tales and literature, are often symbol of ultimate freedom. They are free, without borders, flying in their own way (in both sense of that word) . (Report) Reply
B) The phrase 'chew up’, for some reason gave me a feeling of destruction - of violence (Maybe largely due to the fact that I can never ever tolerate people who chew food with a noise!) . Time is the most violent. There is some kind of destruction here… (Report) Reply
A) One of the aspect related to 'housewives’, at least in the part of the world I am from, is that they often lack freedom. I guess the severity of the restrictions vary from culture to culture, a sense of being in shackles remains everywhere. (Report) Reply
And after this, having read this poem five more times exactly after I had thought of the things said previously, my mind sort of whispered into my ear - ‘Psst! What if there is more than what meets the eyes? ’
And it was at this point that I felt like asking myself a few questions - a) Why a housewife as a speaker? b) Why use 'chews up’? , and c) Why stray birds?
The answers I gave myself built the basis of the second interpretation, which is as follows - (Report) Reply
2. On Time, Freedom, and Choices: (Report) Reply
So, basically to find a more meaningful/ significant identity. And, as you would notice, I am leaving out certain parts for I think I can tie up these loose ends later. (Report) Reply
1. The Housewife Angle:
At first glance I believed this poem to be about a housewife, tired and bored of her daily, repetitive chores, taking stock of her life as it were, wondering how such ROUTINE activities dull her life... She wishes to finds 'scrap of time's not 'chewed up' by the 'demands of everyday life'.... She wishes to 'meditate' on the ‘stray birds of thought’ and perhaps realise her place in the earth (Report) Reply
So, let's get through both of them - (Report) Reply
Primarily, from a simplified part it is the contemplations of a housewife about her daily life. The second, although a bit far-fetched might as well be about a commentary on the philosophical nature of time, freedom, and once again, as I had found in your other poems, an evaluation and elevation of the mundane into the extraordinary/ poetic. (Report) Reply
This is really interesting. And while it is a little unusual to make assumptions about the speaker, almost for convenience as a reader I guess taking the speaker to be housewife is helpful. And if we do so, there seems to be two points of views that a reader can look at it. (Report) Reply
Work of a sober mind. Thanks for sharing Susan and do remain enriched. (Report) Reply
Oh, was in a hurry to check out your poems and forgot my manners. You remain blessed and enriched, my friend.
Chinedu! ! ! I have missed your presence- I hope this means you have posted a new poem... yours is the work of a sober and intelligent mind.
Compellingly portrayed!
Universal sentiments, Susan. (Report) Reply
The common thoughts of an everyday housewife. Thank you for finding it compelling!
I need to find time
..... to know that my life
Was more than washing dishes
And waiting for the phone to ring
Bearing news of joy or sorrow
I vote 10++++++
Thanks for sharing this poem full of emotions and expression....
When I am alone and no phone call coming along, I usually think everything goes well,
As soon my phone rings, there two possible thoughts rings on my mind that bad or good news coming along (Report) Reply
Thank you for reading this poem and giving me your thoughts on it. There was a period of three years that the ring of the phone at three and four in the morning was sheer terror. Nine years passed and the ringing of the phone day or night made us catch our breath and pray. The ringing of the phone can be such an instrument of torture depending on what is going on in one's life. Thank you for voting this a ten, Lungelo
a wonderful poem that takes time out to ponder? ...…….well written Susan (Report) Reply
a time well spent is the time we use to ponder! Thank you for reading and commenting!
A poem of great substance! .....I want to know that my life was more than washing dishes....Scintillating poetic expression that depicts the reality of life of a woman! It's my pleasure revisiting it! (Report) Reply
I am so pleased when people revisit a poem of mine and fine it still to their taste- -makes a writer feel like she has received a pat on the back. Thank you so very much!
This is my favorite of all you poems so far but I shall continue the wonderful journey of reading you poems to see if this shall remain my number one or if it dethroned by another. I have added it to my poem list! (Report) Reply
I hope you find many other that you like as well or better! ! ! Thank you for the add to your fav list! ! !
Drenched with the dew drops of desire for a greater reality is this wonderful work of art. It reads even better the second time. Added to my poem list! (Report) Reply
Now that is a pleasing thing to hear- that a poem reads even better the second time around! ! ! Thank you! ! ! Your comment by the way is quite poetic! ! ! !