not many folks know that seahorses
race on underwater courses
miniature scuba diving jockeys riding
over coral reefs they are gliding
crowds gather for the seahorse derby race
always held in the same underwater place
even the sharks are welcome to observe
as the race leading seahorse comes round the final curve
crowds are restless, they are sensing trouble
the leading jockey coughs and floats away in a bubble
second place seahorse claims the prize
sharks ate all the crowd, what a surprise
life can be so busy
dashing around all the time
late for work again
a quick goodbye kiss
before you run out the door
hardly a minute to spare all day
rushing from work to buy groceries
speeding home to cook dinner
greeting your partner with a quick kiss
catching up on the days events over dinner
maybe grab some time together watching a Netflix series
before you know it the evening is done
you are tired and its time for bed
a goodnight kiss then sleep
before doing it all again tomorrow
even on non-working days there is plenty to do
answering emails and texts
household chores of cleaning and laundry
bills to pay and fixing broken stuff
will you ever get to finish that DIY project
hardly a minute to spare for quality time with your partner
you are passing like ships in the night
if you are longing to reconnect
without investing a lot of time
in listening and talking about problem solving
then next time you kiss you partner
make it last for at least six seconds
do this at least three or four times every day
think of it as making a deposit in your emotional bank account
that account will grow daily with interest
you can tap into that account in times of intimacy
you will become better connected
you will both feel appreciated
stress levels will fall
your relationship health will improve
it only takes six seconds
Morning light
Soft tones
Long shadows
Crisp air
Gentle breeze
Big breath
Eyes closed
Clear mind
Deep breathing
Body relaxed
Positive thoughts
Inner peace
Opening eyes
Saying hello
To myself
I answer
hello back
I ask
myself directly
you happy
long pause
I answer
yes deliriously
with a
wry smile
I woke up at 6am
weather was clear, no sign of rain
fixed up my protein drink and a cup of tea
loaded up on hydration
checked my bike and set off at 7:50am
met my riding friends at 08:15am and set off north into the wind
3 minutes later the rain arrived
not a light drizzle but a torrential downpour
we were totally soaked in minutes and it was not safe to continue
we sheltered under trees for a while but the rain persisted
frantic calls to wives to come pick us up
they dutifully obliged to rescue us
soon back home and shivering into a warm shower
then cleaning the mud soaked bike
my phone was so wet that it stopped working
praying it would come back to life when dried out
my faith in the weather service was at an all time low
predicting no rain but we still got drenched
will this stop me from riding again?
hell no, its just a wet blip in the road
she was walking when it started to rain
at first it was just a few drops
she was apprehensive
but then came a downpour
she was far from any shelter
she started to get really concerned
she was quickly drenched
soaked to the skin
but it was summer and warm
she continued walking
surrendering to the power of the rain
looking for deep puddles to splash in
no longer worried or concerned
daring the rain to continue
walking more
the rain answered her dare
rivers ran down her arms and legs
she felt empowered by the rain
she continued walking
the rain began to taper off
she felt slightly cold
moisture was sucking the heat from her body
she continued walking
she started to shiver
finally she reached home
peeled off her wet clothes
stepped into a hot shower
it felt like warm rain
she wanted to stay there forever
letting the streaming water wash away her troubles
watching her worries flow away
with no desire to go back to the dry world
she wanted to be a mermaid
to feel water flow over her skin
to dive deep into the ocean
to swim far away from reality
to live in a subterranean world
where nobody could ever bother her
it started to rain again outside
she smiled
she started walking towards the shore
you look forward to your vacation
plan everything well ahead
make all the reservations
confirm everything to be sure
double check the itinerary
arrange the house sitter to water the plants
nothing left to chance
but then the day of departure looms closer
frantic last minute packing
you cannot decide what to take
throwing it all into a bulging suitcase
taking stuff out because it will not close
then you check the weather
forecast is unusually cold for the destination
rip out a bunch of light clothes
stuff in some warmer layers
its almost midnight now
you have to leave at 5am for an early flight
the sink is full of dirty dishes
the trash cans are overflowing
at least 2 more hours of housework
before you can crash to bed
hard to sleep worrying about the early flight
you wake up totally exhausted
its much later than you planned
you skip breakfast
the plants will not get watered
dash to the airport
long lines at the check in
longer lines at security
will you make it you wonder?
arriving at the gate
sweaty and disheveled
the flight is delayed
will you make the connecting flight?
stress levels explode
the departure gate is crowded
people all stressed and shouting
eventually you boared the plane
somebody is in your seat
they cannot read the seat numbers
you flop down exhausted
eyeing the empty seat next to you
praying it will not be taken
then a 400 pound man smiles at you
he takes the middle seat
you are trapped next to the window
it will be a long flight
the TV screen does not work
the plastic food tastes just like plastic
the expensive drinks seem well worth it
eventually you land
then a mad panic dash for your connection
you make it with seconds to spare
a relaxing second leg
2 more cocktails
then you disembark
watching every bag on the belt
no more bags going round
your bags have been lost
fill in forms and lose more time
go to the car rental office
resisting all the upselling
to find your rental is a micro car
fortunately your have no bags
drive to your hotel using GPS
it takes you forever in ever decreasing circles
they charge you an arm and a leg to park
you consider strangling the desk clerk
your room is noisy and not clean
you cannot sleep from worry
did I lock the back door?
will Mabel remember to water my plants?
is it safe to drink water here?
how many days before you go home?
Some people find it hard to say no, they are afraid of how it will be received
You can be blunt and brutally honest sometimes
No you cannot borrow my car, last time it came back all dirty with an empty tank
No I will not lend you money until you get paid, you need to spend less
No I do not want another drink, you probably had enough too
No I cannot deal with your request right now, I am too busy
Or you say no and still be nice about it
Sorry I promised myself never to lend my car to anybody but I am going into town shorty if you need a ride
I’m sorry I just can’t lend you any more money but I will gift you this great book on how to manage your personal finances
Its been a fun evening but I need to leave soon so its best if I just finish this last drink, thank you so much for the kind offer though and I hope you enjoy your last drink as much as I did mine
I understand exactly what you need and I will work on it as soon as I am available
Whichever way you choose , its appropriate to say no sometimes
Saying no is empowering
saying no is liberating
Saying no keeps you in control
Saying no prevents others from stealing your time
Saying no prevents takers from taking
Learn to say no
I am awake early with an intense headache
incredible painful head splitting pressure
is this all a dream I wonder
I pinch myself to confirm being awake
the headache is still there
desperately seeking an answer to this sudden onslaught
It could not be a hangover
no recollection of any recent head trauma
I felt for bumps on my head but nothing unusual
maybe a change of environment might help
sitting on the edge of the bed- no change
standing up-no change
opening and closing my eyes- no change
moving from light to darkness- no change
I go for a pee- no change
the pain is still intense
I am starting to get anxious
this must be a serious medical condition
am I having a stroke
I look in the mirror and smile- no face droop
closing my eyes and raising both arms horizontal- no issues
talking to myself in the mirror- no gibberish
the pain is still intense
I reach for the pain releiving medication
I down a couple and hold my breath
hoping for instant reduction in the pain
nothing changed
desperately seeking answers
am I being punished for all my sins
is it a sign of impending death
are all my affairs in order
should I get dressed and look presentable
should I say goodbye to all my family and friends
will I live long enough to speak to them all
perhaps a group text would be more efficient
what should I say to them all
will it make them sad
how stupid I will look if I don’t die seconds after sending that message
suddenly the pressure is dropping very slightly
perhaps the medication is working
or maybe death is approaching fast
I lay down and decide to take deep slow breaths
accepting my fate with dignity
with each breath the pain subsides a little more
a few minutes later it is gone completely
relief washing away most of my anxiety
no longer seeking a reason or a cure
waves of gratitude flowing over me
I have been spared death, at least for the next few moments
what shall I do today to reward myself
will I still feel this gratitude for the rest of my life
or will it all fade away like the memory of a dream
best write it all down immediately
read it daily to remind myself how precious life is
time to celebrate with a cup of tea
I am still in the race
the human race that is, at least for the moment
Fog drapes everything outside in silence
The road vanishes a few steps ahead
Grass beads with cold
Each drop trembling in the hush
The sun is hiding somewhere behind this cloud
The sky has forgotten itself
Lowering a mischievous cloud down to earth in silence
Everything waits in silence
Wrapped in the breath of the unseen
The morning sun has been cancelled today
The birds stopped singing
Time stands still
Only the foolhardy dare to race into the unknown
They seek to escape beyond its clutches
Risking a deadly collision with an unseen entity
Denser fog rolls in to suppress the urge to flee
We are all prisoners in a cage without bars
Seven weeks ago we set off on a long vacation
Starting on the US east coast
We took a trans-Atlantic cruise for 12 nights
The ship stopped in Bermuda and the Azores
Final destination was Lisbon
After an enjoyable stay in Lisbon we flew to Madeira
Meeting up with some close friends
We spent the next 10 days exploring the island
Great food, wine, scenery and super friendly locals
We then flew to London for a brief stay before flying up to Inverness
We met up with family and rented a car
Next chapter was the NC 500
A 500 mile drive along the north coast of Scotland
It took a full week to complete
Our final destination was the Isle of Skye
Another week of exploration with more family members
The journey back home started with a 5 hour drive to Glasgow
A short flight to Dublin followed
The next day we flew to Iceland
A far too brief layover before boarding our flight back to the US
It was hard to stay awake during the 3 hour drive home
We took a lot of photos and made many memories
What did we learn from this journey?
The best way to avoid jet lag is to cross the ocean by sea
Losing an hour every other day is much better than stepping off a plane and losing 6 hours
Bermuda seems to be stuck in a time warp
Once a place for the super wealthy to hang out and hide their cash
As the old money dies off, nobody has taken then opportunity to develop the island for sun seeking tourists
We just wanted more and mores of the Azores
Punta Delgada has not been discovered yet, go soon before the developers swoop in
Spending days at sea makes you appreciate the vastness of the Atlantic ocean
The early sailing explorers were so brave
Lisbon has a special place in our hearts
Our fifth visit revealed even more amazing history and culture
Port tastes so much better when looking out over Lisbon and eating local food
Lisbon has been discovered, no longer the quiet backwater we knew a decade ago
Madeira is a gem
A huge rock towering out of the ocean off the coast of Africa
Its similar to Hawaii but in the Atlantic
Spectacular scenery and super friendly locals
Madeira wine is nectar, it can send you to heaven on earth
We enjoyed Fado, traditional Portuguese music full of emotion
London is a huge city but the locals are super friendly
English beer is warm
Fish and chips is an additive English pleasure
Inverness is the gateway to the highlands
The NC500 attracts too many RVs
John O’Groats is always cold and windy
Its hard to keep your eyes on the road when driving through spectacular Scottish scenery
Haggis is a great breakfast food
Scotland is mostly mountains, lakes(lochs), rivers, waterfalls, sheep, deer, pubs, distilleries, castles, highland cows, single track roads and rain
Scottish people never complain about rain
It rains in Scotland almost every day but the locals call it mist
Its hard to find the bathroom at night after three weeks away from home in multiple hotels
Single malt whisky tastes truly amazing in front of a log fire in the Scottish highlands
The Isle of Skye is breathtaking
All whisky distilleries smell like malt
Its so easy to make whisky, the ingredients are: water, barley, yeast and lots of magic
Guinness in Ireland tastes amazing
Irish hospitality is hard to beat
Iceland is mostly black volcanic rock with puffs of steam rising up
Iceland has also been discovered so best to go in the shoulder season
Jet lag is much worse when flying westward
Yes we would do it all again in a heartbeat
Nothing more precious than spending quality time with family and good friends
Home sweet home is a welcome place after a long vacation
I am still confused upon waking each morning, what country/time zone/place am I in?
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 