Armed with anger, we come to believe that our wounded dignity is protected; lock ourselves in to keep the monsters out, all we see are targets to be rejected;
The demon whispers on our shoulders, “Where is justice?” “Where is your peace?” But anger never delivers on its promise, a fast cash deal, a momentary release;
When wounded, why hold onto the pain, unable to accept the simplest solution? Your life is too valuable to sacrifice at the altar of retribution;
True power lies in the ability to let go, to walk away from a pointless fight; outside is a world of possibilities before the coffin lid slams shut tight.
Written for the GloPoWriMo Day 2 prompt: Write a poem that directly addresses someone, and that includes a made-up word, an odd/unusual simile, a statement of “fact,” and something that seems out of place in time. Inspired by a piece of writing by David Elikwu.
Head to the wild realms of the unknown Let the ‘idea sex’ magic freely roam So from the chaos output is inevitable Fermenting percolation becomes treasurable
You are your own curator What does your archive say? Your most valued selections Will predict the game you play
May I copy to my scroll That to which you adhere? My library is starting bare And I need a new idea
Cross-reference the index Let’s build up our research Combine all our best thoughts And share for all to search
You are your own curator Garbage in makes garbage out Information overload Fills everything with doubt
Inspired by a David Elikwu newsletter 18th Apr 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United – this poem is tangentially connected with the theme of ‘youth has no age’.
Today I’m feeling:
Good except my croaky sore throat. My body feels great otherwise after playing volleyball yesterday. I skipped exercise this morning, though.
Health:
Physical: 7 Mental: 8
Today I’m grateful for:
The lady selling candy outside school. She has some weird and unusual candy selections and I can throw a few down for a little sugar bump at the end of the day before driving home.
The best thing about today was:
Talking with Poppy as she wants to apply to go to Japan with the school and she was very excited about it. She told me that she wants to talk with me every day to improve her English to prepare for the interview.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Today we were asked to attend a meeting at 4 pm and then five minutes before it started, we were told that it might last for two hours!
Thankfully, it was less than an hour, no idea what any of it was about but I spent the whole time studying Thai, so at least it wasn’t wasted.
Also, by the end of the day, I had almost lost my voice, so I decided that it is probably best not to go to school tomorrow but to go back to see the ENT specialist in the city again.
Something I learned today?
Some students were telling me that they were worried about the school because we will get a new director soon. First I’ve heard about it!
Ang Pao took this picture because yesterday I discovered that she had a pierced tongue and this morning she wanted to post this picture of us online.
The wise sage, somewhat cynical Knows what to say and when The optimist, still straight and clinical Is in trouble with words again
Yet when the time came to inspire The sage’s words fell short Because one’s dreams also require Revision to what has been taught
Maybe the fire inside was unseen So the sage had to be let go Not understanding what it would mean To be held back by what one would know
Inspired by a newsletter from Daivd Elikwu about the dangers of role models and my own experience I am currently revisiting from 2020 with my then role model, George.
2024-12-08
Today I’m feeling:
Positive and happy, though a little tired.
Health:
Physical: 7 Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
Hangie successfully getting Amy home at 2.30 am this morning after a night out in the city.
The best thing about today was:
I got out to my room to play guitar at three different times today and I can see a little improvement. I also fiddled a little with Ableton, trying and failing to get it to do what I wanted. Need to find some tutorials.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
As I’m helping Baipad save up some money to go for a health check, I wanted her to come with me to the hospital to get the information on exactly what she needs, and at the same time, the information I need, as I want to do the same thing too.
This afternoon, I dropped by and though she was reluctant to come because she hates interaction with strangers, I convinced her after she asked if Namhom could come too.
We went around the back way to avoid the highway and they both seemed fairly chirpy.
When we got there, I asked Baipad to ask the security guard for information, but unfortunately, he told us that they are only open Monday to Friday (which surprised me a little).
Oh well, never mind. When we got back, I asked Baipad to find the information online and she duly did.
Even though this was just a little thing today, it is the kind of thing that will boost her confidence in the future.
We were both happy to discover that the price is not as high as we were expecting.
Something I learned today?
I started reading Persepolis this morning and immediately wanted to learn more about the history of Iran.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I rescued Piti when he dashed out of Utopua this morning.
Noey took this picture because this is her last day working at Utopia. She has exams next weekend before heading off to her internship but I will likely see her on those mornings as she’ll pick up coffee first.
Good but a little blurry, probably from the gummy yesterday. I still feel like there is a lot that I want to do today but after yesterday, I know that there won’t be enough time!
I couldn’t believe it, that not long (seemingly) after writing the above, it was already 2pm! I feel like I got some things done today, even though it was probably less than yesterday.
Health:
Physical: 7 Mental: 8
Today I’m grateful for:
My student Namyen showing me how to make a quick video using CapCut. It was pretty simple in the end, though I think I need to figure out a way to make them generate a bit faster.
It’s fun, but I don’t want to spend too much time on it.
The best thing about today was:
Reading. Comics and books. 2000AD Judge Dredd, Lucifer, Platinum Grit, Totally Wired Post-punk interviews, Up Simba (David Foster Wallace).
Something I learned today?
I learned how to edit my own silly videos to post on Instagram.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I swept the entertainment area.
I took Amy and me to the 7-11 as she wanted something there and I used the opportunity for her to buy me an ice cream!
I took this picture because I felt something in my sandal and thought it was just a stone. I kicked it off and this monster came out! With two legs lost he struggled to run off in a straight line. I’m checking my shoes every time now!
Great with an underlying tiredness that isn’t really bothering me.
I got up and got going, enjoyed a couple of simple classes where I had time to interact a bit more with some of the poorer students.
Got home by 2 pm and straight into my room sorting more comic files and a bash around on guitar. With practising a little bit more this week, I can feel some improvement. The only downside is that with the dead hangs that I’ve been doing, my fingers aren’t quite moving so freely. Hopefully they will as they get used to be used.
Health:
Physical: 7 Mental: 8
Today I’m grateful for:
Kru Mai helping me by switching one of my Friday classes to Wednesday so that I have more to do on Wednesday and fewer hours to teach on Friday.
The best thing about today was:
No one thing in particular. It was a good day all round. I have a suspicion that I will be very tired and catching up on rest on Saturday, though.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Nothing stands out here today. Everything went well enough.
Something I learned today?
In my classes, I notice subtle changes in relationships and today I talked with Wipping in the morning, who is fed up with some of the nonsense that goes on with her friend group. She separated herself a little to concentrate on studying, and I talked with her a little about how she is probably a bit more mature than her friends, but that they will catch up one day and she should hang in there.
Later, Miyor arrived with a different friend group than usual and she told me later that she and Khaofang had a falling out over nothing much. Those two are always clashing over something, though and I wonder if things will be back to normal again next week.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I messaged Kru Jern about our student Nomsen, as she always complains about a headache and wanting to sleep. She also has lots of sores on her arms and she says it is because she is itchy.
I asked Kru Jern to check in with her because whatever issues Nomsen is having, it is affecting her ability to concentrate in class. She’s a good kid and I like her and want to give her all the opportunities that I can whilst she is my student.
I took this picture because when I got home, Tigger was here chattering away. I’m not sure what he was talking about. There was nothing obvious outside the window.
