A mind of winter is a terrible thing to waste

(Lord’s day). To church in the morning, and then home to dinner alone with my wife, and so both to church in the afternoon and home again, and so to read and talk with my wife, and to supper and to bed.
It having been a very fine clear frosty day — God send us more of them, for the warm weather all this winter makes us fear a sick summer.
But thanks be to God, since my leaving drinking of wine, I do find myself much better and do mind my business better, and do spend less money, and less time lost in idle company.

A morning with fine,
clear frost.
Winter makes us fear,
drink, bet,
sin better and spend
time lost.


Erasure poem derived from The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sunday 26 January 1661/62.

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