Waste of Time

Jan Scrimgeour 1952 (Wallasey)



Don’t plant a seed on barren ground With soil that cannot nourish.
The seed may try to root and flower but it will never flourish.
The plant attempts to enrich the soil, with half-grown decayed leaves.
The soil absorbs it deep below, but gives not back the poor plants needs.
Eventually the battling flower stops and ends it’s ‘mise.
The seed that struggled to take root withers dry and dies.

Don’t light fires where air is sparse, your efforts are in vain.
A spark may start to crack and glow but it will never flame.
Don’t kindle fire with wood that’s damp, or very soon you’ll learn.
A short reaction, pale blue flame, but you won’t get the wood to burn.
Though you may fuel the dying spark , you will not raise a rout.
The fir you struggled to begin, will sure as sure go out.

Don’t burn with love for such a soul who does not want your fervour .
Don’t nurture seeds of passion, if they cannot love you ever.
He’ll take your love, you’ll waste your love, to try and start a fire.
And yet to them you’ll never be an object of desire.
And so he will destroy your love, absorbed , all run away.
That waste of time and love you should have saved to give another day.

About this poem

Unrequited love

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Written on November 03, 1978

Submitted by janscrimgeour0 on November 17, 2022

Modified on April 17, 2023

1:12 min read
39

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABXBX XXCCDD EEEEFF
Closest metre Iambic octameter
Characters 1,194
Words 240
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6

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    "Waste of Time" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 8 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/144547/waste-of-time>.

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