The Words – 19th June 2025

The storm that formed within
Kept quiet in self-conceit
The words chosen to spin
Will likely mean defeat

The whispers turned to sin
Unable to delete
The words that did begin
To taste so sickly sweet

The joining of the skin
A union of the heat
The words now worn so thin
There will be no repeat

With the pulling of the pin
The heart began the cheat
The words have been locked in
Forever in deceit

Some thoughts on infidelity

Look Back And Smile – 3rd September 2024

One day we’ll look back and smile
Laugh at the silly things we did
We don’t need to do them again
There’s no need to be repeated

A rocking chair on the back porch
One day we’ll look back and smile
A book in hand, a reminder
Of happy days once in a while

Through all trials and tribulations
We found our happiness at last
One day we’ll look back and smile
At the tough times we have passed

We must recall the lessons learned
Before we get old and senile
And the final chapter beckons
One day we’ll look back and smile

Submitted to Weekly Prompts -The One-Day Prompt (5) and inspired by Sadje’s entry ‘Change will happen – one day’ using the quatern form.
17th Dec 2025 – Shared with dVerse Poetics Tuesday – looking back
20th Mar 2026 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United #219


Today I’m feeling:

A little better again, though still not quite right. Big storms rolled through last night with window-rattling thunder that woke up from time to time. The rainwater in the garden now has nowhere to go as the ground is saturated.

I’m also a little anxious about how little money I have left already this month but I keep reminding myself that it is only a 30-day month, so it feels like I will get paid again sooner than some other months!

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The new mala shop that opened at the end of our soi and we tried for lunch today.

At first, it tasted so-so, but it got better as the flavours began to soak into the food and settle on our palates.

My stomach is complaining a little bit now, though.

The best thing about today was:

Feeling motivated and feeling like I was getting things done. I’m almost caught up on checking out all the music I’ve downloaded this year. I cleared out some poems that I needed to read, wrote a couple myself, did some more grading, downloaded more comics and even managed to practice some guitar.

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

Despite feeling a bit better, my voice is really croaky and it feels like something is blocking the airways.

For the last few nights, I’ve been waking up, lying on my back and gasping for breath.

Something I learned today?

Well, things have blown up badly between one of Amy’s close friends and her husband and it’s all in process right now. Without going into detail, it raises uncomfortable questions that we might ask ourselves if we were in that situation.

So the best thing to do is not get into that situation. Simple.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I congratulated the students who performed their play today and came fourth.

I then commiserated with them as the Thai teachers berated them for not doing better.

Ready For Something – 22nd September 2021

The kids are bored just hanging out
Breaking curfews and running about
They’re ready for something, set to rise
The fire is burning behind their eyes

The trigger arrives by train and bus
Thinking ‘no one else can fuck with us’
The energy is bursting out of control
Electric atmosphere to charge your soul

The movement grew to change the world
Banners raised, freak flags unfurled
Possibilities open to interpretations
Underground rising across the nations

Inspired by listening to Joey Keithley of D.O.A. talk about travelling to their first show in San Francisco in 1980 (?). Some band members went by bus, another by train and a fourth by hitchhiking. D.O.A. were a pioneering band spreading their punk rock messages around the world. He said that at that time kids were ready for something, though they were not quite sure what it was.

Of course, there are other possible interpretations too.

15th Mar 2024 – Submitted to Reena’s Xploration Challenge using this quote as inspiration:

I think if you are curious, you create opportunities, and then if you open the doors, you create possibilities.
– Mario Testino

11th Apr 2024 – Submitted to My Vivid Blog


Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for all that I’ve achieved in my life so far. I am happy with the way I am. and the changes I have made throughout my life.


I took a walk over to Primary today and chatted with folks there and it’s still the same crazy nonsense as I when I was working there. One surprising thing to learn was about everyone’s dislike of Mike there now and not just because of his brownnosing ways but also passing on private information from their personal Farang teachers LINE group to the Thai teachers and, worst of all, fucking one of the Thai teachers.

Most of the other teachers know his wife so they are pretty upset about it. I know it’s not the first time for him either.

Anyway, hearing all this and all the other stuff from there made me appreciate not being there anymore. I feel good and relaxed today. Nice!

Pull yourself up by the bootstraps – 6th February 2020

Gratitude Journal

I’m so happy and grateful for my relative freedom. After reading about Natascha Kampusch spending eight years in a dungeon and how she dealt with it is really inspiring. But even outside her dungeon she still has a feeling of being trapped. Hence relative freedom.

Justification for infidelity and dishonesty in all their manifestations lies in the marginal cost economics of ‘just this once’.

Clayton M. Christensen, HBR

To-do list

  • Get cutting knife
  • Prepare Kru Noon’s card
  • upload TCRAH
  • Rip some CDs
  • Rest. Speak less. Listen more ✅

Well, I didn’t get many of those things done! But that’s ok because I really did rest a lot. I read a lot and watched a bunch of really interesting stuff on YouTube, some of which I really was savouring.

I was in a good frame of mind when Aing, Gus and Nu came and I enjoyed talking with them, kicking off a conversation by asking them that in ten years time they will be successful – what does success mean for them? Aing then surprised me by asking if I think about how I might die. While Gus and Nu laughed I thought it a very valid question.

It was an interesting and thoughtful conversation and I very much enjoyed it. So, nice and rested, I’m prepared for our long drive tomorrow.