The Future is Now

We have had some inquiries on the sundial poem read at the end of the Mighty Men meeting on February 20th. It is on a sundial at Wells College and was written by Henry Van Dyke. It captures the futility of focusing on the past and the uncertainty of the future. The NOW is the one thing we can impact and is all we are promised.

“The Sun-Dial at Wells College”

The shadow by my finger cast

Divides the future from the past:

Before it, sleeps the unborn hour

In darkness, and beyond thy power:

Behind it’s returning line,

The vanished hour, no longer thine:

One hour alone is in thy hands, - -

the NOW on which the shadow stands.”

~ Henry Van Dyke

I thought of this poem during our discussion last Saturday, as so many people were looking back and others were looking for future opportunities to do things,

but all we have impact on and all we're promised is the moment we're in.

~ Dave Maxwell