“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – Andre Gide
A haiku reflection on being on the other side of fifty years old and maybe the idea that 100 is the goal. The title is taken from Cardiacs.
Form: Bloated Haiku (10-15-10 syllables)
Rules: Subject must be cultural and philosophical
I totally made this up. Am I a creator?
Oh, this poem was inspired (and paraphrased) by this post on Substack by Jim Richardson. The poem is not particularly connected to the content as the paraphrasing is drawn from the first paragraph. I just liked these words and thoughts together.
I was kinda taken with most of the images for this No Theme Thursday challenge but not enough by a single one to write anything deeply. So, I figured on some haiku form couplets for every picture instead.
Inspired by a line in L.E. Mullin’s Flight of the Condor comic
A double haiku based on a quote from Adyashanti
Shared with Momoetry April Poet Month challenge – haiku
This haiku was posted by Gary B. Dean at AllPoetry.com on 23rd July 2024.
Freefall
All leaves fall away
From the branches that lift them
For their only flight
I liked it and wanted to reply. So I did.
Today I’m feeling:
Dizzy though my brain was fairly active once I woke up.
I went to Utopia and sent work for my students to do, though I expect very few of them to bother.
I chatted with Bruno for an hour or so, but had to concentrate hard to stay focused. I talked more than I have in a long time and quickly got tired, so I came back home to rest again.
Health:
Physical: 6
Mental: 6
Today I’m grateful for:
Kru Jern again for following up on her class to send me the work I assigned them today. Only one student submitted my work during class time.
The best thing about today was:
Reading comics. I didn’t do much else!
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I found that my order for cat food got cancelled, though I haven’t received any refund yet. It’s annoying as we have almost run out and it may take extra time to get more delivered.
Submitted to No Theme Thursday
Today I’m feeling:
Tired because I had slept too much over the last two days and so struggled to sleep last night along with Cap wanting to be let out and back in again three times. I hope to get home in the early afternoon and catch up on some sleep then. The air is still making me feel dizzy and sick too.
Today I’m grateful for:
The four staff at the post office who I communicated with Google Translate telling them that I didn’t want to pay customs tax on a parcel from Yukari in Japan. The shirt and CDs were already expensive and I don’t want to have to pay even more just to receive them.
Anyway, in my mind I’m already resigned to having to pay the tax but I thought that I would try my best to not and the four guys were all a little stuck as it is just their job to collect the money and send it to the customs people.
I explained that the things in the parcel were just some stuff that I left in Japan when I was visiting there and it was just being sent back to me. The value on the customs declaration is just for insurance claims if it gets lost. They were sympathetic but said they just collected the money.
This would be different in Australia where you have a good chance of not paying import duty if you can argue a good case as I have done in the past on several occasions.
Well, as it was up to the customs people I asked them to call them and explain the situation. They tried but said there was no answer, maybe because it was lunchtime. OK, when you’ve talked to them you can call me and I gave them my phone number and left.
I doubt that they will call as none of them speak English so I will go back in a day or two and see what the situation is.
The best thing about today was:
Getting my grading files all done and dusted by 9.30am, allowing me time to enjoy coffee before a little bit of shopping, where, finally, Big C has the Strawberry Granola in stock again.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I suppose the situation above that I describe about the customs tax is out of my control and I dealt with it calmly and softly. There was no point in getting upset with the staff at the post office – they were just doing their job.
How do I deal with uncertainty?
I remind myself that everything is uncertain. When you consider that everything is uncertain and that you have been dealing with this reality for 56 years already, you might not be exactly sure how you deal with it but like my mum always said you ‘just get on with it.’
I have become more flexible and accepting of change over time, something I know that Hayden often struggles with. I have also reduced my expectations around things being a certain way – Thailand has taught me this quite well.
Today I’m feeling:
Some aching bones but relaxed and positive.
Today I’m grateful for:
My blow-up neck stretcher. I don’t know if it really helps my neck but it does feel like it helps keep it stable and forces me to sit up rather than lie down to read or watch TV. I go through phases of using it and it has felt necessary for the last few days.
The best thing about today was:
Forcing myself out and enjoying sitting at Daytripper and putting together more lessons with Quizizz. It’s making me look a bit more at my lessons to see how to improve them. I don’t like to do work at the weekend but I’m spoiled with actually doing so little work whilst I’m at school during the week!
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
In my ongoing attempts to counter the smell of cat pee in my mattress, I pulled off all my bedding, shoved it into the washing machine and headed off for my morning caffeine injection.
Waiting for that first cup I checked my phone and found a heavy rain warning for the whole day. Everyone is hoping for rain to crush the poisonous smoke in the air. But will it rain?
It was forecast yesterday too but with nothing eventuating. Just a smoky sky that even the power of the sun was unable to really penetrate.
Either way, today looks like more of the same. I’ll stick the bedding under cover and hope the humidity dries it out by bedtime.
(It’s 8 pm now and there’s been no rain and the hot humid air dried everything before lunchtime. Tomorrow’s forecast is a 90% chance of rain so let’s hope that that comes true!)
Something I learned today?
A piece brokered between Saudi Arabia and Iran by China. Could this be the start of lasting peace spreading around the world or will the USA inevitably stick its nose in to destabilise things for its own gain?
What is a simple delight I have been enjoying lately?
My two bottles of Curcumin C, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, activate my tastebuds in the best possible way.
Talking with Hayden has also been nice the last few times we’ve talked too. He seems a lot more open and not stuck in his head so much.
Yoghurt, muesli, strawberries and of course, coffee.
Our cats, despite the pee issue, make me smile every day somehow.
My students, despite frustrating me to no end, are all also delightful.
Life is pretty good.
