Tag: peasants

Faux Concern – 19th March 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Who determines the state of us turtles?
Is it those that pump poison into my home?
As if there is not enough for us to deal with
Better you didn’t exist and left us all alone

Submitted to Monday Poetry Prompt – determine, state, turtle

Today I’m feeling:

A little better.  I started to feel almost ok after eating some dinner last night. I wasn’t really hungry but ate anyway and glad that I did.  I struggled with sleep again last night but don’t feel too tired yet; I know that I really need to push through today and not take a nap so that I can enjoy a good sleep tonight.  Right now – 8 am – I feel like I have the start of a cold or flu again, much like I did last week.  So despite feeling better than I did on Saturday, I’m still on the edge.

Today I’m grateful for:

The hospital being close by and able to see Amy for whatever allergy is bothering her skin at 9 pm. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious but best for her to get checked as she has had attacks from allergies before.

The best thing about today was:

Playing lots of guitar although much of it was frustrating as I haven’t played much this week and I can notice the struggle I am having to get my coordination working again.

Something I learned today?

I learned what a cherita is in poetry. I will give this a go sometime.  I’m currently thinking about a cascading poem using a nomeansno lyric as a starting point.

Cherita (pronounced CHAIR-rita) is a linked poetry form of one-, two- and three-line stanzas.

Cherita is the Malay word for “story” or “tale”.

A cherita consists of a one-line stanza, followed by a two-line stanza, and then finishing with a three-line stanza.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I talked a little bit with my student Earn again and gave her some more encouragement as she figures out who she is and where she is going in her life.  As usual, it’s wonderful to watch these kids grow and mature.

How do I practice self-care on a busy day?

My days are mostly made busy by self-care!  Over the last few years, I have been bringing self-care to the forefront of my mind and I no longer mean this in a selfish way (as I might have done in the past).

My days are generally not that busy so the remaining time is taken up with self-care in the form of reading, writing, relaxation and thinking.  On a busy day, the actions are the same.  Each space must be filled with thought that ensures care for one’s self (along with everyone around).

I took this picture because the school cat Garfield was waiting for cuddles and rubs this morning.

Are You Louis XIV? – 17th August 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Is everyone here just to serve you?
You’re no better than anyone else
Everyone must do what you say
You’ve got such a high opinion of yourself

God forbid anyone who crosses you
Or doesn’t always adhere to your wishes
The ladders climbed are full of snakes
Fallen from ballroom to washing the dishes

Superior attitude has poisoned the mind
The extended hand that must be kissed
The backstabbers are always plotting
And one day you’ll no longer be missed

Are you so noble you cannot see
The peasants that you thought to inspire
Turn against your arrogant commands
That they no longer admire

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for our super tart passionfruit that I ate for breakfast yesterday. Its sourness lasted throughout the day in my mouth. It was delicious and difficult to eat!

Sometimes, the more you look at something, the more it makes you sick. Like eating too much cake or chocolate. I have to balance my reading about Thailand’s past, along with seeing what is happening here now and not get too disgusted with it all in front of Amy, as it only fuels her own first of disgust and will just make us both unhappier. We cannot close our eyes to the corruption we see and enjoy our lives fully. Ignorance really would be bliss. Sometimes, I wonder how to be more stupid.

Also, following the stupid build to potential was between the US and China and hoping that China can do it’s best not to get sucked in. Unfortunately, lots of westerners are getting sucked into the deliberate false narrative that the western media promotes.

It got me thinking about all the self-help methods, or even religious preaching, that advise on understanding, compromising and learning from each other. As the US fails, yet again, at violent suppression of others, based on lies, I wonder if it’s time for the Chinese to lead the way.

I saw a bizarre headline that indicated China would develop Afghanistan with infrastructure and modernisation, working with the Taliban. In return, the Taliban would move away from extremism and not support any terrorist action within Xinjiang. This headline seems too good to be true and maybe from a spoof website, but it shows that the methods the US has chosen in the past, which have continually failed, were not and are not the only option.

Even primary school kids understand that escalating a fight just brings more pain.

I’m starting to see the benefits of a one-party system where potentially anyone has the chance to participate. Without the regular 4 or 5-year cycle, waste of time and money on elections and one party undermining the other, often out of spite, a direction can be adhered to, and some stability maintained.

No society is perfect, and the US should stop pretending to be, because its faults are evident for the whole world to see.

Things I can control and things I can’t control. I still wish to say something, even if it’s just shouting into the wind.