Tag: my younger self

I Met My Younger Self For A Beer – 26th April 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 7 Comments

Shared with Momoetry April Poet Month challenge – narrative poem and inspired by reading this verse from orla.writes

I met my younger self for a beer,
as if we were mates, long-time friends.
(The longest time)

He looked at me suspiciously;

In some ways, I did too
but my suspicion was of myself.

I told him, ‘You don’t know me yet.’

He gave me a silent sneer of disapproval
but was smart enough
to ask what I would like to drink

and even offered to pay for the first round;
obviously understanding there would be more.

This will take some time, I thought.
(The longest time)

“What’s it all about?” he said,
“Can you give me a clue?”

I told him that clues are all we get,
that you gotta just keep going
and that I often thought of Mum
slaving away, hour after hour,
day after day
and eventually, I would understand why.

“Let’s have another beer,” I said
“But just the one.”

I Found What I Was Looking For – 26th March 2022

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Are you too, still searching
Looking to bring love to you?
All the honey-kissed lips
And healing fingertips
Those dreams never came true

I struggled and questioned
Unsure of each step taken
Then I realised
One day surprised
From my dreams, I am awaken

My search now over
And my advice pro bono
Trust in your yearning
Never stop learning
Until you know what you don’t know

Something put that damn U2 song in my head so I started playing with some of its words, and made one up to fit. The limerick was accidental and appropriate.

The only external reality that matters is the misery of the human condition.

John Calder, The Philosophy of Samuel Beckett

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my younger self for at least keeping some diaries. I was never fastidious about it but it’s amazing to look back at what I was doing and thinking.

Today is moving deliciously slowly. I feel very contented. I forced myself up at seven and after feeding the cats put on my trainers and walked up to and around the back of the uni. 10,000 steps all done by 8.30am and I earned myself a blister and a hole in the sock on my left foot.

A couple of Utopia coffees and a few more pages read, I settled in for a fantastic couple of hours watching Sydney beat Geelong and Buddy getting his 1000th goal. Awesome.

Kim came for cuddles and is now lying close by, muscles twitching in her sleep. Talked with Amy a lot. She is very happy after a night out with her new friend Peter (who wishes he was more than a friend but I think Amy can keep him under control). She’s also getting close to her Brazilian roommate, Claudia, who also has a strong independent streak. So she is meeting good people and having a good time.

I am here and quietly contented too. Looking back at old diary entries, it seems to me that this is what I had been looking for, so no wonder I am happy. Of course, Amy and I miss each other and almost everyone she talks to doesn’t understand how we can be apart the way that we are, but it doesn’t really feel that we are that far apart.

I can see that about twenty years ago I was way too wrapped up inside my head and whilst I can still get like that, I have been able to get it under control with much more success recently.