“Can’t hurry” – A reflection from Ecclesiastes

For this Saturday’s Good Read, we would like to share a poetic reflection from an EAST Resident Faculty, Dr Lau Ying Kheng, which is based on Ecclesiates chapter 3.

1 To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven;
2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3, KJV)

Read the poem, “Can’t Hurry,” below.

Can't hurry love
A singer's mama said.
"Just have to wait
No matter how long it takes."

Can't hurry life,
For bones to form in the womb.
For seeds to die in loneliness, unseen,
For dreams to sprout and bloom.

Can't hurry grief,
Mourning, forgiveness, regrets,
For words to no longer sting and wound,
For disappointments to dry up and mend.

Can't hurry time,
Timing, transitions, the wait.
For courage to wake up, and wisdom to brew,
Just have to wait, no matter how long it takes.