Freshest Flesh – 2nd November 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment 
Only the freshest flesh will do.

The cherubic breast,
  falling out of her pretty dress.
 
 She’ll burn her softened thigh
  on his hot exhaust.
 
 Her oiled streaked Gucci,
  a story she cannot wash clean.

 She’ll get what she wants
  and regret what she gets.
 
 That’s the rough draft
   scratched with dead desires.

 She got into trouble
 and nobody helped her
   because people love to see
   a pretty girl fail.

“She’ll get what she wants and regret what she gets” is lifted from Susan Hyland (according to the link I kept) and “the rough draft scratched with dead desires” from Between Two Rivers by Chris.
“his hot exhaust” is not a euphemism (except that it is). In motorbike cultures, girls, sitting on the back of their boyfriends’ modified bikes, are often left with exhaust burn marks on their legs.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Binding Our Wishes To What Will Be

Often the outcomes
Are bigger than we see
Win or lose
Both are what will be

The following is a letter from May 02, 2026, delivered from the past by FutureMe

Dear FutureMe,

Here you are again, a couple of days before the new semester starts and a big change to your routine from past years, with Amy now running Heaven Burger. You feel comfortable and confident for the future.

The last month has been a whirlwind but you have forced yourself to read a lot of small articles from The Daily Stoic, which generally have kept many upsetting thoughts in check.

The main thing that you are trying to manage is your new work schedule and once again having to struggle with teaching the juniors. You would like to push back on this but also want to accept this test yet again.

There is probably lots more going on in your head but everything feels low stress and generally positive. Keep going Shaun!

Clowns – 1st November 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment 
i look forward to getting home
after a day of fun and laughter.
things get a weird kind of serious
as i watch reel after reel of supposed
news. until i realise I'm watching
a clown show and it's all back to
hijinks and japes. the clowns they
just keep on coming, they tickle
me with their stupidity.
long may they continue to reign.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Accepting What Is

The event cannot be changed
But your opinion surely can
It’s the art of acquiescence
Amor fati makes us human

Halo To Hall – 30th October 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments 
Transcripts glow like neon; skill hides in a shadowy hall.
   Grade-point halos polish myths, yet within the basics stall.
GPAs float like helium, tied to nothing firm,
   while rounding to the hundred is now a mystery term.

Shuffling a system to drift through a soft parade of A’s,
   a cargo cult of “equity” that’s built from empty praise.
Dressed up best on paper has now become the story sold,
   but beyond all that glitters here, cannot become the gold.

Inspired by this article at The Argument about how schools are fudging grades for students, for a number of different reasons, with the result of a decline in the standard of education.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Who Gets The Lion’s Share?

Study first, pleasure second
Make your mind up to prepare
For your future reckoned
Because there’s always a lesson there

2 a.m. Cosmology – 29th October 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 23 Comments 
2 a.m.
and that cat
is crying again

fed just thirty minutes ago
apparently
not enough

my brain is soggy
my feet are slurring
another spoonful
in the bowl
and back to bed

into lucid dreams
and erratic thinking
the universe is revealed
to me

of course
we’ve got it
all wrong

the universe
is inside out
and the earth
is all around
the edges

and the centre
of the universe
is in the middle

time and space
behave differently
as you go closer
towards the centre

under the earth
there is nothing
but hell

the more we move
towards the middle
the closer to god
we get

having this
almost fully formed
and ready to submit
to science

the cat cries again
at the end of the bed

for fuck’s sake!

A true story, as we nursed our old, sick cat back to health a couple of weeks ago, making sure that he ate whenever he wanted.
Shared with dVerse Poetics – irreverence

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Character Is Fate

For those you invite into your life
Character is the best measure
Success and failure are just chance
Share with those who deserve your treasure

Emo – 28th October 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

give thanks
to friend and foe
they have all
helped you grow

you say
you don’t care
but you care
more than you know

Ah, teenagers!

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

We Were Made For Each Other

We are mutually interdependent
No matter how much we hide
We must be there for each other
To see philosophy applied

After Party – 27th October 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment 
At the Emperor's extreme extravaganza
   peasant participation is prohibited;
   a primal pissing contest fantasy
   of the fragile currencies exhibited;

Youth, beauty and cash flaunted;
   ego boosters for mediocre men
   parading really hot regular girls
   and their pretty privilege again;

Free champagne will tomorrow remind
   the terrible company kept;
   all the cab fares, bought and sold
   until under the carpet swept.

Inspired by steph’s ‘the hot girl economy’ article and comments

Today’s Daily Stoic poem

We Reap What We Sow

Crimes often return to their teacher
Karma can not be cheated
The going around comes around
As the hypocrisy gets repeated

Crema – 26th October 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Mediocrity has become the default
Sold as more is always better
Filtered is a useful bitter assault
But sometimes you need the crema

So give me the shot
Give me the cure
When everything is slop
I demand something more

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Three Parts, One Aim

The moral, the natural, the rational
Examine your soul and nature’s way
Make the meaning of words intentional
Right now – put them on display

Heart This – 25th October 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments 
From a safe, soft couch with the television on,
  they blessed the wreckage with the sign of the cross;
Typed “thoughts and prayers”, hit post, job done,
  they smelled no smoke, yet claimed the loss.

No call, no knocking with casseroles in hand,
  just pixelated pity floating through their feeds;
Drowning in a sea they’ll never understand,
  while they toss empty hope out as glorious deeds.

Inspired by Joe Nichols Substack write ‘Thoughts and Prayers, You Pitiful Bastards‘ (maybe requires subscription)

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Two Tasks

Be a good person and do what you love
Everything else is just a waste
Time is short; find what to get rid of
Live well and live in grace