What I seek is a life less hectic.
Not one of running about…“got to go”…
“Must dash”…“must fly”…“the kids need picking up”.
Not to rush through a door without looking back
Into whose face it has just slammed…and having
To apologise. Not to run up or down a moving escalator,
Bumping people out of the way…like driving
A dodgem car…just to gain a few precious seconds.
Or ignoring the call of your name behind you in a busy,
Crowded street…because you cannot wait.
Or “God! I’m late. Dave’s going to kill me” (is he really?
Then you would indeed be late).

I don’t want to be killed by anyone for being late.
I don’t want to go at breakneck speed…allegro…allegretto
Zipping by…scampering along…jumping to it…
Zooming…scooting…skedaddling…whizzing past…
Showing a clean pair of heels…like a shot…flat out…
Rushing headlong…helter-skelter…in a frenzy…
In a hustle and bustle…in a flap…in a scramble…
Hurry-scurry…in a whirl…in a race against time…
In a hyperactive, frantic manner with no time to lose…
Not letting the grass grow under my feet…raising the dust…
Always on the go…burning the candle at both ends…
Without a moment to call my own…hotfooting it…
Lickety-split…in a pep…at full tilt…presto…pretissimo…
Hell for leather…full steam ahead…in a flash…
Running like the clappers…like greased lightning…
Like wild fire…in leaps and bounds…at a rate of knots…
Hand over fist…for all one’s worth…going like a bomb…
In full swing…firing on all cylinders…full belt…
As if my life depended on it…like a cat on hot bricks.

I don’t want to be killed for rushing about. Do you hear me?
I do not want to be killed for rushing about. It’s as simple as that.
Listen! I want to bimble (bimble…is that a real word?
No. but it’s my word. OK? It means to amble along slowly
Without a purpose or a care in the world…without direction…
To nowhere in particular…calm…relaxed…unfazed…unhurried).

Listen to me! Yes! I want to bimble…do things slowly…plod along…
With time to kill…with an idle moment…with time to spare…
With all the time in the world…to amble in an unexcitable way…
To dawdle…tortoise-like…at a snail’s pace…taking one’s time…
Lackadaisically…languidly…adagio…larghissimo…andante…
Taking it easy…letting the world go by…dragging one’s feet…
Whiling away the hours…mooching, lolling, pottering about…
Twiddling one’s thumbs…kicking one’s heels…at a stroll…
Sitting on one’s hands…hanging out…dilly-dallying…
Laissez-faire…letting things go…loafing around…
At a stand still…dossing about…with no thought for worry.

I want to go slowly. Do you understand? I want to take my time…
What’s that?…my wife’s calling me…
Sorry! Got to go…must dash…