MEETING with Time, -- Slack thing, said I, Thy sithe is dull: whet it for shame. No marvell, sir, he did replie, If it at length deserve some blame; But, where one man would have me grinde it, Twentie for one too sharp do finde it. Perhaps some such of old did passe, Who above all things lov'd this life; To whom thy sithe a hatchet was, Which now is but a pruning-knife. Christs coming hath made man thy debter, Since by thy cutting he grows better. And in his blessing thou art blest; For, where thou onely wert before An executioner at best, Thou art a gard'ner now, and more; An usher to convey our souls Beyond the utmost starres and poles. And this is that makes life so long, While it detains us from our God. Ev'n pleasures here increase the wrong; And length of dayes lengthens the rod. Who wants the place where God doth dwell, Partakes already half of hell. Of what strange length must that needs be Which ev'n eternitie excludes! Thus farre Time heard me patiently; Then chafing said, This man deludes: What do I here before his doore? He doth not crave lesse time, but more. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ECCLESIASTICAL SONNETS: PART 2: 25. THE VIRGIN by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH THE NATIVE LAND by FRANCISCO DE ALDANA ON SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS by WILLIAM BLAKE TO HIS FRIEND THE AUTHOR UPON HIS POEM by CHRISTOPHER BROOKE NATIONALITY IN DRINKS by ROBERT BROWNING CLEANING OUT THE SULLER IN VERMONT by DANIEL LEAVENS CADY OBSERVATIONS IN THE ART OF ENGLISH POESY: 17. AN ELEGY by THOMAS CAMPION |