The Love Sonnets of Proteus, Vita Nova, XCVI: On the Shortness of Time

If I could live without the thought of death,
Forgetful of time's waste, the soul's decay,
I would not ask for other joy than breath
With light and sound of birds and the sun's ray.
I could sit on untroubled day by day
Watching the grass grow, and the wild flowers range
From blue to yellow and from red to grey
In natural sequence as the seasons chan
I could afford to wait, but for the hurt
Of this dull tick of time which chides my ear.
But now I dare not sit with loins ut
And stall unlifted, for death stands too near.
I must be up and doing — ay, each minute.
The grave gives time for rest when we are in it.