Have you ever felt the crushing weight of unmet expectations as another year begins? Carlos Drummond de Andrade masterfully dissects this universal human experience in his powerful poem, “Time.”
Time
Carlos Drummond de Andrade
Who had the idea of slicing time into pieces,
which were given the name of year,
was a genius person.
Industrialized hope
pushing it to the limits of its exhaustiveness.
Twelve months are enough for any human being to get tired and give up.
Then comes the miracle of renovation and all stars once again
we pick up another number wishing that
from now on everything will be different..
…For you,
I wish your dreams fulfilled.
The love you waited.
Hope renewed.
For you,
I wish all the colors of life.
All happiness you can smile to
All songs you can thrill.
For you in this new year,
Wish all friends to be better,
May your family be more united,
May your life be more lived.
I would like to wish you so many things.
But nothing would be enough…
So, I wish only that you have many wishes.
Big wishes and may they move you further every single minute,
on route to your happiness!
Reflection
This poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade offers a profound reflection on the human experience of time and the cyclical nature of hope. The “slicing” of time into years is depicted as a brilliant, yet almost exhausting, invention that fuels an “industrialized hope.” We see ourselves perpetually striving for a fresh start with each new year, pushing past weariness in the pursuit of renewed dreams and aspirations. The poignant twist lies in the realization that no number of specific wishes can truly encompass what we desire, leading to the ultimate wish: to simply have many wishes that propel us forward.
As you read this poem, ask yourself: Does the “miracle of renovation” truly offer a fresh start, or are we simply caught in a cycle of renewed, yet ultimately similar, aspirations?
