Tag: poetry

Fifty-Two Little Thoughts – 1st January 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 11 Comments

The following poems were inspired by the Outcast and Other Words anthology which I came across sometime in 2024. I decided to take all the prompts from that anthology and see what I could come up with myself.
17th Sep 2025 – Shared with dVerse – reflections

1: Outcast

Duck Face

We outcasted ourselves by dissemination
Of the minutiae of every spit and cough
Sharing feeble insights and useless opinion
Considering a duck face meme be enough


2: Unearth

Deeper

When dug down deep enough
Through all the muddied ground
A sense formed from nothing
Unexpectedly found profound


3: Imperfect

The Perfect Image

A studied mirror finds the flaws
The qualities hindered by thought
Image is only imagination
Subconsciously learned and taught


4: Destiny

Stopped Dead

A tragic victim of fate or led astray by odd notions?
Either way, ended up beneath the roiling oceans
Or frozen solid on a parade to the mountaintop
Life lived in safety has already come to a stop


5: Gratitude

Crawl

Sparky Attitude, an ungrateful iconoclast
Demolished her own feeble castle keeps
An arrogant empire would neither share nor last
To a lonely future she limps and creeps


6: Wild

Innate

A heart race
As the tiger leapt
Covering me with all its grace
In his eyes kept
All the wonder
Of his beauty
All the danger of his threat


7: Remedy

Good Little Boys and Girls

Crush the little kiddy bones
Grip their brains to squeeze
Make a million homo-clones
Purely bred to please

Break the little baby brain
Mould until compliant
Not an atom must remain
Of any trace defiant


8: Candour

Home, James

Hello Frank, I’m Earnest
Let’s work to fix this joint
Blunt, direct and candid
Let’s just get to the point


9: Accidental

The Place Of Knowing

Was it an accident or fate?
Did destiny set me straight?
I fell off the path while going
To the place of finally knowing


10: Mimic

Bovell Rock

Show me the mould, I wanna break it
It’s a lovealution and we’re gonna make it
Put me in a box and I’ll find an escape
That’s the revolution we’re trying to shape

Inspired by Dennis Bovell


11: Guardian

Hold On

Hold on tight to the hallelujahs
Death creeps in ditches along the way
No protection on the road to perdition
When the drunk comes out to play

Inspired by a young friend of a friend who was suddenly killed by a drunk driver


12: Indecision

Designer

Wishing and waiting?
Thoughts and prayers?
Thin ice skating
A toy on the stairs

Get busy designing
With purpose and pliers
Lifetime defining
Lighting the fires


13: Light

All The Wrongs

Why the darkness, why the night
Where all the wrongs are told as right?
The world around wasn’t forced to fight
Let’s take a step towards the light


14: Fear

The Unfolding

Always made meaning
As the moment slipped away
Slowly unfolding


15: Intricate

Mandelbrot

The politics of time create confusion
All blame is built on past illusion
A cobweb mandala of contrived deceit
The circle of power remains incomplete


16: Colours

True

Don’t be afraid of the rainbow
Black and white is never true
That’s why the world makes you crazy
And only seeing blue

When it’s all too much to bear
Is when it’s time for you to show
When the darkness makes you small
The truth will help you grow


17: Emptiness

Firestarter


Just need a little juice to fill up the whole
A tiny spark to get some action-shifting
A combustion of the heart that you stole
To restock the emptiness of your gifting


18: Performance

Exit Stage Left

Get it together, this is your show
Your audience awaits with bated breath
To follow your story as you grow
And the curtain closes with your death


19: Abundance

Gurfa

Who can catch all the falling figs
Ripened and ready for your dreams?
All the water in the palm of your hand
Is never enough it seems


20: Resting

Spike

I told you I was ill
Perhaps it’s for the best
I just lie here still
To enjoy my final rest


21: Day and Night

A Perfect Contradiction

Waking in the morning was as if nothing had changed
Except that everything in life had been rearranged
Walking again into the night the patterns are all the same
What it was and what it is now has a different name


22: Secret Doorways

Wizards

The Internet is a collective hallucination
Trap doors hide the rabbit holes
Spiralling further away from reality
Over the rainbow and beyond controls


23: Taste

A Distinct Lack Of

Once the sweetness of success sets in
A bitter pill is like ingesting sin
Lazy complacency soon turns sour
A spicy life now mundane and dour


24: Shadows

Colourless

Life stamps out the artist
Imagination overruled by data
Needing money for survival
Has us working harder not smarter


25: Fragment

The Creases

Taking a thought and pulling it apart
Taking a heart and smashing it to pieces
A fragment pleases, a misunderstood art
An origami part, following the creases


26: Wishes

My Honest Pitch

Everything’s an ad, even the news
Propaganda spun to get more views
Everything’s and ad so here’s my pitch
Subscribe now if you want to get rich

27: Circle

The Newest Apocalypse

Fighting for breath, caught in the undertow,
Unplug from the drama, go with the flow
Another story that no one else needs to know
An ever-decreasing circle ready to be let go

Title taken from and poem inspired by The Stoa Letter email


28: Life

Guru Free

For life, always in search of a cure
But what is good is easy to get!
What is terrible, easy to endure!
Death hasn’t come for us yet

For a thousand years, this advice, free
Now sold by gurus for a mighty fee


29: Moonstruck, Ragtag & Wanderlust

My Three Sons

Such useless boys, always dreaming
Their twinkling eyes always gleaming
Awaiting their return, to see them again
Left as boys yet returned as men


30: Journey

Eulogy

Chuck me in the cheapest casket
Feed my flesh to the flames
Waste no time with weeping
Rejoice your reality remains


31: Nostalgia

The Cleaner

Without explanation let’s concoct a story
A dry tale to give the past some meaning
Wrap an old coat around to comfort
When these memories need spring cleaning


32: Reflection

The Weight Of A Seed

With the weight of a seed

Arrogance kept in his heart
His majestic glow darkens
His character torn apart

No matter his benevolence

The righteousness of his deeds
To hell, he will banished
For satisfying his own needs


33: Time

Sand

Time
Fourth dimension
Moments in trust
Let them all go
Infinite


34: Christmas

No Christmas

It’s a minority holiday
Needles drop from the old pine tree
Whatever Santa may say
Each year less present to see

It’s another year of pain
The glitter and glamour have faded
Each time coming around again
Until successfully evaded

To celebrate your own existence
Needs no manger of lights
Defy peer pressure insistence
There are no wrongs and rights


35: End of Year

Getting There

You’ll always have a seat
If you bring your own chair
Losing isn’t always beat
But shows you’re getting there


36: Begin

From The Off

If you want a happy ending
The peak that offers reward
Navigate the discomforts
The form found unexplored


37: Misgivings

The Fold

All my thinking folds in on itself*
To stand proud, solid and silent as the tree
A summer showing of greenest health
Conceals the winter dark inside of me

*https://tinyhearts.uk/2024/09/16/mowing/


38: Boundary

I Am Better

I didn’t bring a gun to a knife fight
I’ll not flash cash in a parade of wealth
I’m no better than you and no more right
I am only better than my past self


39: Delicious, Distasteful & Dimension

Moderation

A weekly wine goes down delicious
But any more would be distasteful
Visiting the drunken dimension
Throws up, to be overly wasteful


40: Afternoon Tea

The Puppet

The jar and jerk to the puppet
Are you in control of your action?
Cause yourself some calm
Sip from the cup of satisfaction


41: Weather

The Flood

Despite all our human progress
Streets ran with rivers of browny slime
Rising ever higher as if to impress
The power of nature not tempered by time


42: Revelation

The Four Divergents

Are we are righteous, acting out a virtue?
Or is there no other choice, no better outcome?
Or do we accept that this is the way of the world?
Or is this just a habit, the way we have become?

Which narrative will we use today
For each decision that comes into play?


43: Heartbeat

Flatline

There’s no time to stop, even to live
Pushed to the limit, something’s got to give
Pumping ugly muscle, pulse under pressure
Once busted it stays broken forever


44: Fallen

Stuck In Motion

If I wasn’t sitting down when the spin hit
The swirling vortex afore me would soon see me sat
Cartoon birds circle my head where I sit
Stuck in a motion that keeps me where I’m at


45: Spring

Poppy Theatre

From twisted dirt and tortured mud
Became the little field that could
Sprung the soft after the harden
The poppied theatre become the garden


46: Patience

The Wind Up

I wouldn’t wish me on anyone
Your patience put to the test
I’m in perpetual motion
You’ll never have chance to rest


47: Vibrant

Skipping School

A flourishing joy around a rope jump
Lush youth laughing and chasing
Hustle and bustle, the mad thrills pump
Energetic thoughts set hearts a-racing

Spirited shouts and sudden screaming
It’s an unharmonious harmonious noise
Fresh-faced fancies of everyday dreaming
Amongst the funky fires of the girls and boys


48: Glimpse

The Catch

We’re chasing rainbows in a clown car*
With common sense in the rearview mirror
Whilst catching a glimpse of the future
Where everything will become less clearer


49: Fortitude, Resolute & Epiphany

My Three Daughters

With my love, my daughters will grow up strong
With the wealth of the oil from the olive trees
They will rise from the ashes to where they belong
To return to their home from the river to the seas


50: Evergreen

Desire

To be rich does not require
Further addition to your stacks
When the removal of desire
Is easily the simplest tax


51: Raindrops

A Tiny Flood

Alone I cannot carry Noah
Sun soon evaporates my form
Together our mighty arms destructive
Hear the roar of our oncoming storm

Dissolved into the terrible power
Lost in the crowd of the ocean
Until it’s my time to rise again
A never-ending circular motion


52: Emergence

Ideas That Don’t Exist

You don’t exist yet
No form but aspiring
Struggle to germinate
To break the seed skin
A sprout to be set
New growth inspiring
Hollow bricks gestate
A weapon within

Today I’m feeling:

Fairly good. I got up early and out for coffee whilst also doing some reading and writing.

Amy turned up more … morning with a carrot cake that she made as a gift. Whilst there, she talked with Baew, who had stayed at Noy’s house last night and had already started drinking again!

I dropped Amy there so she could drink and talk more with her friends, picking her up again in the early evening.

During that time, I mostly just read, starting the Suspect Device book and the first story in the Marvel reading order. The first of thousands of Marvel comics! I also enjoyed Jodorowsky’s The Incal, too.

Early to bed tonight, with reading, as I head to the hospital at 7 am.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Some quiet time at home, just me and a book.

The best thing about today was:

Writing a new poem that I was happy with. I haven’t been writing quite as much recently but seem to be able to click back into it easily enough.

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

One of our cats peed on the sofa last night and whiffs from it sometimes took my breath away as I was reading. Bleurgh! I’ll have to sort it out tomorrow, taking off the covers and washing them, spraying loads of deodoriser too.

Something I learned today?

Miyor, Nudee and Satang posted a story of them drinking beer last night. Naughty! I wrote to Miyor but just laughed about it.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I wished Anchan a better year ahead.

Said And Done Again – 31st December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 13 Comments

A reckoning with my younger self,
nostalgia or all a nonsense?
We should want to change the world,
guided by our conscience;

As the crossroads multiply,
direction becomes obscured;
Pulled along on divergent tides,
wildly thrashing, unmoored;

Ideals discarded to the wind,
just another day to survive;
Waking up to realise
the destination will soon arrive;

A reckoning born of experience
as ideals began to wane;
Everything ever said and done
will be said and done again.

30th May 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United #179 – starting over

Today I’m feeling:

A little blurry in the morning as I recovered from a few shots of Glenfiddich last night, giving me at least a good reason to feel dizzy.

I took my laptop to Utopia and did a little catching up on things whilst there and a couple of coffees got me good and awake.

After a snack and some video watching, I hopped into bed to read some comics, expecting to get sleepy and have a nap, however, the coffees decided it would be better for me to stay awake and I got up again and went out to my room to play guitar, which was loud and enjoyable.

Soon enough, it was time to head to Mum and Dad’s for dinner, which I am now recovering from.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Trying out some pizza from a city restaurant and getting it delivered by Grab. Easy life.

The best thing about today was:

Wishing ten or so random poets at AllPoetry.com a happy new year while commenting on their work.

Something I learned today?

I learned how to set up a symbolic link across my different drives so that I can load all my comics into one common repository.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I had a reasonable chat with Nong Fah today, trying to encourage her to use more than one or two-word answers to questions.

Whilst chatting, she also told me that she is a little worried about changing to high school next year. I told her that I understood but that I thought that she would be fine.

Rotten Words – 30th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Weakness of various kinds may lurk in a flabby lip*
The ill-bred then ill-led by courtier cowards
History’s dustbin overflows with rotten words let slip
A moral vacuum created in Babel’s towers

When the logos kings vanish, only the dirt remains
So sift the glittering trash of golden whispers
In search of the truth which in turn explains
The fragment promises of unwritten scriptures

*I forget who said this quote but I read it in The Decline and Fall of the British Empire by Piers Brendon.

Today I’m feeling:

A little better with a bit more enthusiasm. Coffee was great at Utopia. Nu came and got his shots too before heading off to Chiang Mai. I finished reading Persepolis, which was a very interesting read, before coming home and playing some guitar and listening to some music.

And a little later I finished reading Consider The Lobster. New books to start for the new year in a couple of days.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Hanging on to my old Xbox and cranking it for the first time this year (I think). I spent an hour driving around in GTA. I also accompanied this playtime with some Glenfiddich. It almost feels like Christmas.

The best thing about today was:

Finishing a couple of books before the end of the year.

I’ve almost finished downloading the complete Marvel reading order and I will add those to my comic book reading schedule.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Anchan asked me for money to go to Chiang Mai but I felt like I don’t quite believe her at the moment. I also haven’t been paid myself yet, though I do have cash spare. I’m happy to help her but I don’t want to just be an ATM whenever she feels like it.

Art took this picture as I modelled for another Utopia assignment.

No Bromides – 29th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

Poetry is perfect for cliche
It’s a better way
To say what I want to say!

Sometimes a synonym will do
It’s true!
At least it’s been thought through

Rewriting what’s previously written
I’m smitten
With the hand already bitten!

No poems of autumn or spring
So please bring
Me less cliched words to sing!

Written for a task at AllPoetry.com in connection with cliche. Cliches are often useful, so long as they are not overused, and often express exactly what is required. For me though, I really don’t like cliched poetic topics like seasons or flowers, unless done really well and bringing a new dimension to the subject. I have a pet peeve with some words too but I can’t remember them now because as soon as I see them I click away from reading and forget about them immediately. Next time I see one, I want to try and understand why it is that I dislike it so much! I looked up synonyms of cliche to find bromide! Haha! Never used that word in my life.

Today I’m feeling:

Not sure yet! The cats woke me up well before I wanted and after feeding them I decided to get going. Still dizzy and feeling very hungry despite a big meal last night, or maybe because of it.

I’m not sure what time Amy and Nu got home last night but Amy was happily singing her favourite songs in bed before she finally fell asleep and I was able to get back to it too.

I felt pretty good after being out last night. Even though I wasn’t drinking and still felt tired, I wasn’t bored or grumpy.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Being woken up at 5pm as I was enjoying a good sleep. I then got up and we went to the city for a really nice Chinese meal.

The best thing about today was:

Going to the optometrist and getting my eyes checked and ordering some cheap bifocal lenses for the spare frames I have. The lady there spoke little English but we managed to communicate everything eventually and I was happy not to spend as much as I was expecting.

My eyesight hasn’t changed so my old lenses are still ok but I was wondering if they were contributing to my dizziness. I guess not.

The lady was also the spitting image of my student iPhone and I asked her if she had a sister but she said she didn’t.

I was glad to do all this by myself instead of depending on Amy. Let’s see if the glasses I receive in the end are actually what I want!

I took this picture because this is the extent of the excitement of living where we do.

Excalibur – 28th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I believe, I believe
I believe the King of England
Can pull the sword from the stone

I believe, I believe
I believe that if enough people believe
He’ll be safely sat on the throne

I believe, I believe
I believe even if this divine mandate
Is a set-up, I still believe

I believe, I believe
I believe in suppressing those who don’t
And the rest we can deceive

Inspired by Existential Comics 555

Today I’m feeling:

Less dizzy but also more disoriented. Maybe I’m not quite awake yet, though.

(evening) I feel like I haven’t woken up properly all day. I kinda napped and slept two or three times through the day with little energy for anything else except reading.

Health:

Physical: 5
Mental: 5

Today I’m grateful for:

Nu paying for dinner at the restaurant tonight and driving us there, though he and Amy are drinking now, so I may have to drive us home.

(later) Amy wanted to keep drinking and to dance and kindly offered to let me go home early. Nu was happy enough to stay too, and they would take a Grab home later.

The best thing about today was:

Hmmm… perhaps the morning coffee, reading Love and Rockets and 2000AD, more David Foster Wallace. I barely did anything else.

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

I’m trying to stay positive in this bar where Amy and Nu are drinking but I just feel sleepy again.

I took this picture in the restaurant because I thought it was pretty funny.

Human Comedy – 27th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

He’s a puzzle, perhaps a piece missing
No joker himself, he’s just the joke
And with his mouth engaged in dissing
He’s the bear that you must not poke

She’s a puzzle, perhaps in too many pieces
Scattered across the floor in such distress
And as the pressure ever increases
It was all a game, she must confess

Today I’m feeling:

Dizzy again. It’s more annoying than anything else. I don’t feel sick or anything but just like it takes extra effort to focus.

I went to school for about an hour, handing out the cookies Amy had made, which got a big thumbs-up from students.

I came home and got into bed, did some blog updates and reading before a nice one-hour nap.

Still a bit dizzy and disoriented. It’s like being drunk but without any fun feeling whatsoever. On the upside, Amy is feeling a little better each day.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

A combination of Makro and Amy. Between them, Amy put together an amazing dish of spaghetti with salmon mince balls.

The best thing about today was:

With little else happening today, Amy’s dinner really hit the spot. Both Nu and I were super hungry, especially after all the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

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

Still struggling to focus while talking to people was a bit frustrating. I wanted to be more eloquent and coherent.

I particularly noticed this whilst talking with Champ, who is back after two years in Melbourne. It was good to see him again, but I’m not sure how I came across. I didn’t tell him that I’m not feeling well, though.

Something I learned today?

Nu travelled up from Bangkok and will stay with us for a few days. He has no plan while here but just wanted to get away from the bustle of the city. We discovered that he is in partnership with a Thai sake brewery in Chiang Mai!

I took this picture because our skinny friend surprised us by standing in the driveway when we got back from the shops.

Freefall Reply – 26th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

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.

What is the meaning
Hidden in these words of yours?
How to understand?

The leaves fall away
Because the tree doesn’t need
Them in the winter

Once served their purpose
What use are they to the tree?
Good compost coming!

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.

I took this picture because Amy and I were both surprised to find this cactus looking like this.

The Wonder Train – 25th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 16 Comments

A whisper and a wonder
Will all the aunties be there?
Where will everyone sit?
Can I watch the fire faeries flit
As I fall asleep in the quiet comfy chair?

Adult breath whiffs of magic
Will I ever learn these ways?
Maybe I’ll sing a song
And the uncles will sing along
With my series of 20 short plays

Is that bird following me?
Better to be clear of the busy sky
Reindeer running through
Clickety-clack and choo-choo-choo
Where did he go and why?

The sparkle of new toys
The surprise of morning snow
Why all the rush
For the melt to the slush?
Enquiring minds want to know

Shared with What Do You See? #268 picture prompt (above)

Today I’m feeling:

Dizzy and tired. I skipped exercise again and was a little unsteady on my feet. I went to school but came back home after an hour.

Amy was burning up with fever this morning, too, so we went off to the hospital.

Apparently, I have some ear problem that is causing my dizziness, as opposed to it being a brain problem. No idea of the cause and just got medicine to treat the symptoms.

I also got an appointment for my health checkup next week, as well as a physio appointment for my shoulder.

Health:

Physical: 5
Mental: 5

Today I’m grateful for:

The doctor at MFU hospital and all the staff, who were very diligent despite my poor mood and state.

The best thing about today was:

For the hour that I was at school, there was a very good feeling and everyone was happy.

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

The doctor suggested cutting down on caffeine. Noooooo!

Something I learned today?

Don’t park your car in Bandu Mueang Mai at twilight, as it will get covered in bird shit!

Nomsen took this picture of herself after stealing my phone out of my pocket.

Across The Continent – 24th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

An entire life within the crashing waves
Hands held and shown what to do
Never stand with your back to the ocean
Ride the rips just passing through

Now the city is the best teacher
From drill bits to bureaucratic affairs
Those unflinching bureaucratic eyes
Offer little with their dead-eyed stares

These are days to tell about
Belonging everywhere ever been
Sick of these city shenanigans
You must choose one it seems

Continuing the theme from Across The Room. Inspired, borrowed and paraphrased from this post at Spinning Visions.

Today I’m feeling:

Not so good after a bad sleep due to all the spice from dinner. I skipped exercise for a little extra rest but this morning my stomach is still in a state of gurgling.

I’m also still not sure if I might be getting Amy’s flu. Without exercise, I couldn’t stand a cold shower this morning and today is my first jacket day of winter.

Around 9.30am, my stomach had settled and I could enjoy the rest of the day more. Still tired, though but at least don’t feel like any flu symptoms are developing.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The wooden scent blocks in the car that are slowly removing the smells of it once being Amy’s mum’s and slowly becoming mine.

The best thing about today was:

Listening to students explain their decisions about some English work I gave them about the Thai TV show Hormones.

I was surprised at a couple of students at how close-minded they were, whilst a couple of others were able to well articulate their thoughts.

I’ll try to find some other topics and questions like this.

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

A couple of students in my last class were quite rude in their exclamations for the class to go faster so that they could leave early. I was firm with them the first time, threatened them the second and made fun of them the third time.

It was a bit annoying but maybe it was frustrating for them as they didn’t know how long the class was going to take, while I did and knew that they would have plenty of time.

Something I learned today?

A TikTok video taught me the significance of Chinese chopsticks, why they are the length they are and why one end is round and the other square.

Pin took this picture and sent it to me later with a note, ‘so cute’, which is very kind of her to say!

Bombs And Bread – 23rd December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 6 Comments

Can you name even one of the dead?
Whilst dropping both bombs and bread
You defend these actions instead
And defiantly nodding your head

But killing kids is not self-defence
Spreading peace through violence
This is no place for indifference
This is no time for your silence

Since when has questioning charred corpses
Been more offensive than actual charred corpses?

Today I’m feeling:

Tired and dizzy, especially after exercise. I didn’t sleep well last night and woke up tired. At school now and feel a little out of it.

Amy woke up coughing and saying she is sick, so perhaps I have something coming on, too.

I felt a bit more with it by the afternoon but also with a blocked nose. I’m looking forward to getting home.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Amy’s idea of getting mala for dinner in an effort to blow away any potential lurgy. Not sure if it will work but it was deliciously hot and spicy anyway.

The best thing about today was:

There’s a good feeling around school as next week is a holiday. Students are happy and playful and don’t seem to mind doing some work too.

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

Watching George turn up an hour late to his class today. Most of his students had already disappeared by then anyway.

It is annoying to watch but I’m trying to put it out of my mind.

Amy took this picture because our bovine visitor came back again today.