I have my facial mask on

I look white and terrible now, with my facial mask splayed all over my face. Not that I look any less terrible without my facial mask on......

I must be really bored to talk about my facial mask. Tsk tsk. Anyway, I felt like reading a poem today. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over thinking about those cosy first-year literature lessons in Dr Ang's office. Those were the days when I still did literature and actually read anything good. Here's one of Auden's poems, which I thought was rather meaningful. Let me share it:

If I Could Tell You

Time will say nothing but I told you so,
Time only knows the price we have to pay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

If we should weep when clowns put on their show,
If we should stumble when musicians play,
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

There are no fortunes to be told, although,
Because I love you more than I can say,
If I could tell you I would let you know.

The winds must come from somewhere when they blow,
There must be reasons why the leaves decay;
Time will say nothing but I told you so.

Perhaps the roses really want to grow,
The vision seriously intends to stay;
If I could tell you I would let you know.

Suppose the lions all get up and go,
And all the brooks and soldiers run away;
Will Time say nothing but I told you so?
If I could tell you I would let you know.

By: W.H. Auden in Poems selected by John Fuller (2000); Leicester: Faber & Faber.
(I'm going to reference like a good academic wannabe...)

Anyway, the poem above is basically talking about the relentlessness of time, and the sense is that time spares no one and nothing. It also conveys a sense that the future is unpredictable, and that we might never be able to foretell what is going to happen to us until it happens. To me, I feel that Auden might also be saying, albeit subtly, that perhaps we shouldn't have too many regrets in our life; no point in saying "I told you so" to someone or yourself, since no perfect decisions can be made about the future.

So the moral of the story?

Carpe diem.