The drudgery of January has long since finished,
The car-crash memories of Valentines, diminished.
We’re finally approaching the clock-jumping farce
Spring’s around the corner, and winter can kiss my arse.
Life outside of work is restarted in the evening’s new light;
We can start new hobbies without staying up half the night.
We can go outside, blink at the sun whilst our eyes adjust,
As we absorb Vitamin D before our bones turn to dust.
Long evenings, a gift from the honchoes of the chronological,
Administered by the masters of the horological,
Sixty minutes offered as a six-month loan of a moment,
Ours to do as we wish with, our temporary bestowment.
Learn scrimshaw, practice witchcraft, study alchemy and Latin,
Or whittle the crap out of a piece of wood and paint it a nice bold satin.
Or if these oldy-worldy pastimes seem all too unassailable
There are some modern hobbies when your phones are unavailable.
The point is, you can do something you wouldn’t normally do
Don’t just sit there facebooking, go and do something new.
Learn the bagpipes, read about Heracles’ twelve labours,
Knock on the door next to yours, and say hello to the neighbours.
Learn a magic trick, paint a picture, find out how to juggle,
And don’t pack each one in the moment you start to struggle.
Walk up that hill, drive that golf ball, take that dip in the ocean,
Wear something outlandish and cause quite the commotion.
Write a love letter, call an old friend, send your Mum a text,
Try some yoga and meditate, while deciding what’s up next.
Add some crazy chapters to your burgeoning personal history,
Walk on hot coals, escape a burning building, uncover an ancient mystery.
Don a tutu and practice nailing the perfect pirrhouette
Buy a dictionary, and learn how to spell pirouette.
Devote the extra hour to creating a scientific theory,
Or simply spend it drinking until your eyesight goes all bleary.
Do whatever it is you like, but please, I do implore you,
Don’t do what you normally do, something that’ll bore you.
Do something bonkers: slap a tiger in the face (metaphorically),
Just don’t take it for granted, but enjoy it categorically.
