Looks Good – 11th May 2026

Every pretty picture sells a story
A facade of successes and glory
Perception managers became a thing
Endless adulations on which to cling

The shiny things are not the true treasure
This view of winning was made to measure
Manufactured with a subscriber plan
Fire without fuel is a flash in the pan

Trinkets provide endless fascination
The doom scroll triggers imagination
The selling point, the fraudulent score
Where less is always made to look like more

Somewhat a critique of the Thai education system in which I work, but also a reflection on the barrage of fake social media promises.


My poem The Nine was published via The Edge of Humanity monthly poetry event here.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Guilt Is Worse Than Jail

Peace of mind is found
In doing nothing wrong
Disturbed and unsound
Makes the guilt prolong

Dead Daffodil – 16th March 2024

Time marches on, each golden dawn
The love call in lingerie wears thin
Beautiful eyes now weep forlorn
As the devil burns at Narcissus‘ skin

With the white lion tete-a-tete
Thalia laughed in comedic grace
Ice follies not quite melted yet
Double smiles across Merlin’s face

A sovereign, a sentinel of silver smiles
Once orange progress or pink pride
February gold fades as June defiles
The Dutch master‘s lemon beauty died

Submitted to dVerse’s Daffodil prompt. Naturally, my mind wanted to turn around the joys of spring and to already mourn its end before it even begins.


Today I’m feeling:

Grotty. Getting up at 4am for Oh and Aun’s wedding has knocked me sideways. In between things that I need to partake in I lay down and dizzily dozed. Each time getting up gingerly worried about fainting.

Today I’m grateful for:

Being able to grab a four-hour afternoon catch-up sleep. I could’ve gone through until tomorrow if I didn’t have to attend this evenings reception, where I’m sitting now wondering if I have vertigo.

The best thing about today was:

Sleep.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Not enough sleep and too much sleep! I also didn’t manage to study any Thai today.

I took this picture because I liked the juxtaposition between the two sides. The facade all looking beautiful and behind the scenes the wood and nails holding it in place.
Fatman report