Once again, making good use of a shitty book. Recycle!
Giving The People What They Want – 8th July 2025
Tag: childhood
Soon, child; newly man
The Sheds – 7th June 2025
Those old wooden planks forming structures
stood behind my 400-year-old home;
still, they stood through each test of time
long after I had left this place to roam;
From the house and its slippery paths,
mossed and icy obstacles in winter;
stood those dilapidated monuments,
though each season would split and splinter;
To the left, “the office”, where Grandad
collected his postcards of the wild Yukon;
locked up tight his precious memories
that I would sometimes curiously snoop on;
Around the back, the gardening shed,
musty and full of rusting tools;
next to that, the beer shed
where empty crates were used as stools;
I still recall the stray cat delivering
us a parade of kitten after kitten,
so we kept and named her ‘Mother’
as we all became tragically smitten;
Sadly, she didn’t stand the test of time
and with her next litter, cruelly, died;
nothing left except a couple of photos
tucked into an album and simply kept aside;
Still more sheds stood next to the fence,
one full of coal, another with wood;
once a week, I collected both
for the fire; a role I understood;
But there were two more I don’t recall,
their purpose a mystery to my childish eyes;
perhaps full of junk or even empty;
so much for the test of time and how it flies.
All this is true.
Shared with the W3 prompt #162:
a. Your poem must include deliberate repetition of a word, phrase, or sentence structure at least three times throughout the piece.
b. Your poem must incorporate the word “still” at least twice.
This poem is way longer than I would like and became more of a rhyming reminisce for myself rather than an ideal piece of artistic poetry.
The Wonder Train – 25th December 2024
A whisper and a wonder
Will all the aunties be there?
Where will everyone sit?
Can I watch the fire faeries flit
As I fall asleep in the quiet comfy chair?
Adult breath whiffs of magic
Will I ever learn these ways?
Maybe I’ll sing a song
And the uncles will sing along
With my series of 20 short plays
Is that bird following me?
Better to be clear of the busy sky
Reindeer running through
Clickety-clack and choo-choo-choo
Where did he go and why?
The sparkle of new toys
The surprise of morning snow
Why all the rush
For the melt to the slush?
Enquiring minds want to know
Shared with What Do You See? #268 picture prompt (above)
I Like To Move It – 7th March 2023
Our minds never stopped moving
When difficult roads need smoothing
What does not move is dead
Is what the greatest thinkers said
Let’s move ourselves to improving
inspired by Robert Greene’s Daily Laws and quoting Aristotle
Today I’m feeling:
Strangely filled with love and goodness. I was happy to wake up and exercise, feed our cats and whilst driving to work listen to a podcast about the Clash’s Sandinista album which reminded me how much I like that record.
Then I bumped into Paul at school who had just had a heart operation last week and was back at school already and though he looks about 60 he’s actually younger than me.
I met a few students and we made each other laugh, before getting in the car to go for coffee and listening to the Bangkok Podcast about an Englishman who went across land from the UK to Thailand via lots of other places.
Everything this morning just seemed interesting and worth knowing. I want to feel like this more.
Today I’m grateful for:
My little MacBook Air that I was able to quickly install Yousician and Capo so that I could bash around on the guitar again.
My iMac won’t even get to a login screen at the moment. I live in the vain hope of it starting again after a few days rest. But I fear machines are not humans.
The best thing about today was:
Getting a few lessons organised for next semester whilst sitting in the classroom with the few kids who came to sit there. They amused themselves with the usual things on their phones but I was happy to see one group of four who asked me to move as they were making a movie.
It was enjoyable to watch them acting especially when I asked them to do it in English and they made fun, imitating me, acting like I do in class.
I also had another really enjoyable talk with Hayden that made me think about going to visit him perhaps in April next year. He seems to be finding his feet in the world. Slowly we all work ourselves out.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
There was no yoghurt at Makro! Oh no, disaster. My mind swirled around, what if they never get it again? I’ll have to change my diet. Well, let’s see. I dropped into Big C and got a couple of medium-sized pots but they may only last a couple of days. Yoghurt with muesli is a super easy and fast breakfast for me though. I hope Makro gets it back in stock again.
Something I learned today?
Whilst reading Affluenza, it suggests analysing your childhood deeply to understand more about your behaviour when it comes to wanting things. This made me think that I don’t really think I have finished my childhood yet! Perhaps what I’ve been doing these last few years has been my own self-analysis and along the way I have ‘cured’ myself a lot of wanting bigger, better and more.
However, I do find myself contemplating buying a nice new computer. As the book suggests though, I have to ask myself ‘do I really need it?’ My old computer has served me well for these last 10 years and I look at buying another to last me that long too. In its time it has allowed me to explore many different things with its advanced capabilities. Perhaps now though I am more settled on what I want my computer to be able to do so I don’t necessarily need something that is so overpowered and costly.
Oh, anyway, I’ve switched topics here. The point is that I still feel like I’m in my childhood. I don’t have the sense of awe and wonder in the same way as a child but I think I do have the open mind to most facets of life and living. That could also be down to just being in the right place, mentally and physically, these days. I will keep working things out. It will be a shame to reach a point where I feel that everything is worked out, that may be the end of my childhood phase.
What decisions have I made recently that make me proud?
Today I decided that I won’t buy any more ice cream from LungChom to eat with strawberries and yoghurt. It’s just too delicious but fattening! Even just writing this is making my mouth water and I’m considering changing my mind already! No! This is a decision that I will be proud of.
1994ever 