“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – Andre Gide
Shared with Reena’s Xploration Challenge #380 for the prompt ‘Who will read my diary?” I read through other people’s writing for the prompt and considered all the further questions raised from this initial one. It led to a more stream-of-consciousness write this time, perhaps because my own thoughts are not so clear yet. Who will even read this explanation?
Shared with What Do You See #287 and inspired by this post by Nilofer Neubert using the Blitz form, which has this stack of rules:
Line 1 should be one short phrase or image (like “build a boat”)
Line 2 should be another short phrase or image using the same first word as the first word in Line 1 (something like “build a house”)
Lines 3 and 4 should be short phrases or images using the last word of Line 2 as their first words (so Line 3 might be “house for sale” and Line 4 might be “house for rent”)
Lines 5 and 6 should be short phrases or images using the last word of Line 4 as their first words, and so on until you’ve made it through 48 lines
Line 49 should be the last word of Line 48
Line 50 should be the last word of Line 47
The title of the poem should be three words long and follow this format: (first word of Line 3) (preposition or conjunction) (first word of line 47)
There should be no punctuation
8th Aug 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United #189
Shared with Momoetry April Poet Month challenge – micropoetry (not very micro but it is one of the forms included) with a few links back to some borrowed or paraphrased lines of inspiration including one* that I forgot to take note of.
To the tune of We Don’t Need Another Hero. After following a number of poetry prompt blogs for more than 12 months now I found it a little amusing that the same seasonal themes return again.
It’s more an observation than a criticism as I rarely bother to write about seasons specifically, or holidays (especially if they are not relevant to my location). Folks can write about whatever makes them happy. It’s easy to not read something! But I do like to be challenged by the writer to perhaps come at the prompt from a new angle for a change.
26th Sep 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United – fall
Inspired by part of the essay The Way of Writing by William Stafford
Inspired and paraphrased (as ever) from the Red Hand Files #297
10th Sep 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United – something good
Today I’m feeling:
Happy though a little out of it (I realised as I got off the bike at Utopia). Brain has not kicked in yet!
My body is a little stiff from a good still sleep and a couple of weird dreams, one of which had me kicking rugby balls through jumper goalposts until they landed in a lake and curiously sank.
Health:
Physical: 7
Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
The person sharing all the Rebirth comics on Soulseek that I may possibly get around to reading in about 20 years time. It’s been fun getting them and then filling in the gaps and making new files. Part of my cataloguing obsession is satisfied (even if they are only digital files these days).
The best thing about today was:
Sitting in the hammock reading David Foster Wallace’s review of the Tracey Austin autobiography. He knows how to eviscerate wordily!
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
After telling Amy that I didn’t want to succumb to sleep this afternoon, the pull was too strong and despite the strong morning coffees giving me lucid dreaming for longer than normal, I managed to find a deeper sleep for a good while, spending about three hours in bed.
Still, I was up and into the man cave, feeling a little refreshed and I played guitar for an hour or more, which was good. I’m glad I didn’t sleep through until it was dark again and hope I can get to sleep tonight. I think I should be all right.
I’m still wondering about the reduction in Sertraline and how it is affecting my mood. I still don’t feel quite right.
Something I learned today?
Tracey Austin’s tennis career was pretty much over by the time she was 21, her body already suffering from the punishment of overtraining.
A time-disoriented play on a life’s review in The Matrix or Heaven.
Today I’m feeling:
Pretty good again, though sadly, I was a little achy again this morning. Never mind, I’m still feeling relaxed and positive. Only a couple of classes today, one tomorrow and then that’s the week done for teaching! What a crazy school!
Health:
Physical: 7
Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
Kru David for inviting me to get involved in a little project idea he has to sell a maths board game. It could be a money maker but for me, I feel that I can’t invest my time in this, especially as it requires effort in marketing it, which I absolutely detest.
The best thing about today was:
Being able to get back to writing poetry with a 3-hour break between classes today and working hard on two pieces. It’s now, when I realise that a lot of my time and effort is going into that writing, as I’m not just churning out the ideas anymore but trying to improve my work.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
The sports boys in my grade 12 class were late to arrive this morning and what I was teaching was far above their capabilities, so I let them be, whilst trying to interact with them whenever I could.
I’m not going to be able to gift those boys with much knowledge beyond convincing them that they should at least give everything a shot.
Something I learned today?
Baby owls often sleep face down because their heads are too heavy.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I good humouredly let Earn know not to talk to me in a rude way, even if it was just for fun. We were both laughing about it, but she understood what I wanted to convey.
Inspired and paraphrased from this post at Spinning Visions
Today I’m feeling:
A little blurry in the head, though fairly happy too. Waiting for the coffee to kick in!
Trying to write a poem and started off with two killer lines and then coming up blank on anything else! Trying to think but I’m lost in the fog at the moment!
Finally, the coffee started working and I went for a third cup and I should be able to fight off the urge to nap this afternoon!
Health:
Physical: 7
Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
Not napping! I was tempted but forced myself out to my room to get up to my usual bullshit there. Listen to music, download comics, add blog entries and play guitar.
The best thing about today was:
Playing guitar along to Archers of Loaf, the Wipers and SquirrelBait, whilst a little under the influence of a weed brownie, had me now imagining that I was actually quite good on guitar. I’m not but it sounded good at that moment!
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I braved the rain on the motorbike this morning to go to Utopia, as Amy didn’t want me to use the car yet. Thankfully, it was the end of the storm and just a little drizzle and by the time I came back again, the sun was out.
I also stopped and chatted with Aum Aim while she was working at her mum’s stall. She proudly told me her grade when I asked her – 3.85.
I’ve been thinking about my grading a lot this week, since fielding questions from students last weekend. I think I will be less serious about grading for the high school kids from this semester. The grades they get can seriously affect their options when it comes to university choice in the future.
It seems a bit petty to give an average grade to an average student who isn’t in the English program and whom I only see once a week. If they show willingness, I just give them a good grade, regardless of their skill level.
Am I submitting to the foibles of the Thai system?
Something I learned today?
Anchan told me that despite her being sick, she was in Burma to visit her mum in prison, perhaps the only chance she will get. She said it was dirty and crowded there.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
Anchan also told me that she can get back to Chiang Mai from Burma and she will be a little better looked after, food-wise, until she has to come back to school next week. She asked me for money again but I had to deny her this time. I’m happy to help her a little bit but I don’t want her to think that I’m just an ATM.
Shared with WDYS #257 picture prompt and also submitted for an assignment at AllPoetry.com as follows:
Write a 12 to 24-line poem in any style that uses simile. Keep the imagery consistent and clear. Make sure that you use two clear examples of simile in your poem using the words ‘as’ or ‘like’ as discussed in the lesson. Try to write in the present tense and incorporate at least one concrete use of the senses in addition to imagery and metaphor, which was covered in the previous assignment.
Today I’m feeling:
Reasonable and positive, fairly relaxed.
I woke up late, allowing myself to get up when I felt ready. I had no real appointments or plans, so it was no big deal.
Health:
Physical: 7
Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
The hairdresser today, who paid particular attention to trimming the hair out of my ears.
I think that as she knows that as I always tip her and my cut is quick and easy for her, perhaps she felt that she owed me a little extra. I usually enjoy pulling the hair out of my ears whilst I’m waiting at traffic lights. I’ll have to wait a few weeks for them to grow back again.
The best thing about today was:
Well, it might not be right to say it was the best thing but the main thing that happened today was going to another funeral.
This one was for a friend of a friend who, whilst riding his pushbike, got hit into a ditch by a drunk driver who sped off, but was later tracked down.
If he hadn’t sped off and stayed to help, there was a chance that it might have saved this guy’s life.
Today was his cremation and I drove us there and followed the proceedings, which is something I’ve grown used to here. There were lots of fireworks today, more than I’ve seen before.
There were also lots of people; the guy was a well-liked coffee shop owner and his wife works at the university. He was only 32.
Despite the heat, the three hours there went quickly and I was inspired to write a few related rhymes while there.
Something I learned today?
Stumbling on a video about Junji Ito alerted me to the fact that he has a lot more work out there than I realised. It was an interesting psychological analysis of his work which gave me a better appreciation of his style of horror.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
At the funeral, Amy asked me to fan her to cool her down, to cool us both down. She said that the other aunties there would be jealous because her man was fanning her, something that most Thai men wouldn’t think about doing.
Indeed, one old uncle was curious and came over to try to chat a little but he didn’t stay for long.
Submitted as a task for AllPoetry’s ‘An Expression of Yourself’ course.
Don’t be Ordinary
This assignment is going to take you beyond your reaches. I want something that you can’t even fathom writing. Go beyond what you think is normal.
Write to be remembered. Don’t write like anyone else… Don’t blend in! It’s okay to be original and shocking. To stir the pot and to poke the balloon and deflate it. Shake things up. Make a name for yourself.
Write a poem that you would want to define your ability. A poem that is read and the person is like… that is “your name here”.
Don’t write a poem where it could be stirred into water and blended in with everyone else.
This was an interesting task. I can look at a couple of other poets who follow their own rules and can be identified by their poetry.
As I’ve been writing for 40 years or so I don’t feel that I have a particularly identifiable style, though now I’m thinking more about it.
I do have a preference of style for my own writing though so I submit the following for now.
I could break my preference (and do sometimes force myself with different forms) but not sure that I could ever reach writing something that I can’t myself fathom…..
Today I’m feeling:
A little sleep-in this morning was good, setting me up for the day.
After a simple yet delicious lunch, I dropped Amy off at the airport as she goes off to Bangkok for a couple of days to meet Fern and Pim.
I decided to take Baipad to practice driving a car, rather than a motorbike, as it’s too hot in the afternoon and she called Fahmai to come too.
We drove around near her house and then up at the Uni and they both did well for never having done it before.
Health:
Physical: 7
Mental: 8
Today I’m grateful for:
Finding old reviews of 2000AD issues that I’m reading now, which help me to understand some of the weirder stories. Excellent!
The best thing about today was:
Teaching the kids a little driving, because I could see the confidence in them both growing as they were learning.
Something I learned today?
The CIA posted on Twitter and Facebook, asking for Chinese citizens to become their spies. This was met with a lot of laughter on Chinese social media platforms.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I messaged Baipad to ask how she felt after she did so well with driving and she replied, ‘I feel proud, I think.’ It’s a good start.
1994ever 