Saturday 5 April, 2003 at 5:35PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (7)

I just received this poem via email from my sister in New Zealand. The poem was allegedly written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital who had 6 months left to live at the time. Apparently she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life to the fullest, since she never will.

Although this is apparently an urban legend of sorts, I thought the poem was worth publishing here regardless of the validity, because what it says is just as valid no matter who wrote it.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.