Month: July 2025

She will have to go

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beds are great for sleeping

you can wriggle around and get cosy

toss that extra pillow away

tear off the blanket if you get too hot

once asleep you can dream 

its your own escape world

anything is possible in your dreams

but all dreams have a finite life

I snap back to reality when I wake up

I get up and look at the bed with disdain

wrinkled sheets and crumpled  blankets

discarded pillows scattered all over the bedroom 

no this is not a dream

its that daily ritual that is such a boring chore

I have to make the bed again

once crisp smooth sheets 

refuse to give up their wrinkles

like aged grandmothers who forever lost their once smooth looks

the fitted bottom sheet has jumped off in the night

it must have shrunk 

I can never get it back as before

I have to keep walking around the bed

to line up the other side 

again and again and again and again

I do not want to walk all these miles before breakfast

I really only need one pillow for sleeping

so why must I decorate the bed with ten more

finally the bed is made and the chore is done

I feel weary enough to climb back in again

will somebody please invent a self making bed

one that automatically changes the sheets every week

I dream of waking up and looking at my messed up bed

then shouting ALEXA….MAKE THE BED

I actually asked her today

she gave me that annoying response

I am sorry I do not have that skill

ALEXA…HIRE A MAID TO MAKE THE BED

I am sorry I do not have that skill

she will have to go

The amorous owl

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darkness shrouds the bay late evening

the marsh settles down to sleep

intense blackness amplifies every sound

footsteps of a deer leaving the forest

seeking out green pastures to graze

birds have settled down to roost

small mammals find shelter and rest

raccoons come out to play in gangs

looking for mischief like unruly teenagers

suddenly an owl hoots

hoot hoot

deadly silence follows his call

potential prey seek deeper cover

fearing this nocturnal hunter may attack

the raccoons briefly pause

they know an owl can take them down

the owl hoots again

hoot hoot

a second owl answers his call

hoot hoot 

hoot hoot

She is saying I am over here

I am coming to visit you he hoots

hoot hoot

hoot hoot

the raccoons burst into laughter

fits of raccoon giggles over amorous owls

Suddenly the owl swoops by

raccoons all run for cover in panic

the owl flies on towards his mate

he knows he can find food later

he has other plans right now

deer continue nocturnal grazing totally unabashed

hoot hoot

hoot hoot

the delinquent raccoon gangs decide to call it a night

Don’t throw away all the memories*

Ian Hunter1 Comment

his wife was complaining about all his stuff in the attic

he reluctantly decided to go through all the old boxes

stuff that had been put away for years

obviously not needed but for some reason never been discarded 

he sifted through the contents of the first small box

a tin box full of foreign coins

memories of his traveling days flooded back

places he had visited on business trips and vacations

images flashed through his mind for each coin he touched

an old watch that no longer worked

it was of no value except it belonged to his father

he wound it up and it started to tick

he could hear his father’s voice again

he missed him so much

a notebook from many years ago

containing wish lists of things to do and places to see

they had written it when first married

he read off each item slowly

pausing to recall the joys of each achieved wish

trying to remember why some never happened

bunches of keys from previous dwellings

he held a front door key tightly

remembering opening that door many years ago

seeing his young children run to greet him

they are grown now with kids of their own

a big old bulky calculator he used in college

reliving the hours he spent solving problems with that

the stressful times of exams

he could remember all those long hours of study

he did find some bits and broken pieces

and a collection of old pens and pencils

he carefully put them in a paper bag

before closing the box

he had removed less than ten percent of the contents

over dinner that night his wife cornered him asking if he had cleaned out everything in the attic as promised

he hesitated before saying he had cleared some of it from one small box

she pushed him harder wanting to know why he was keeping all that junk

he insisted that it might be a small box of stuff but it contained a lifetime of great memories

she could see he was getting upset and gave him a big hug

whispering to him softly “I am so sorry, please keep your boxes full of memories”

he replied “thanks, I did clear some space for us to make a few more memories”

Tangier Island

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Tangier Island sits quietly on the Chesapeake tide

Its houses held up by memories and hope

Crab pots rest where stories hide

And time moves as slow as a skiff in the fog

Voices still carry the old ways

A old English lilt of watermen worn and proud

No fancy hotels or bars

Island hospitality consists of a single air conditioned restaurant

Local food prepared and served by local people

A short walk reveals the Island family names in small cemetaries

The sea gives and eventually the sea taketh away

But for now Tangier Island sits and waits

Go see the place for yourself soon

Taste the local seafood and step back in time

Before its too late

Mop and roll music*

Ian HunterLeave a comment

The wind and rain

Is here again

Too windy for a hike

Too wet to ride a bike

Morning exercise is now postponed 

Cancellation excuses not condoned

Forecast to stop raining sometime soon

I’ll ride my bike this afternoon

Filling my morning with routine chores

Doing laundry and cleaning floors

Playing really loud music while I mop

Rocking the house down with ZZ Top

What burden do you carry

Ian Hunter1 Comment

almost everyone carries a burden

some make it obvious, others hide it well

however heavy your own burden may be

try to take the burden from somebody who needs help

they will stand taller, walk stronger and see clearer 

while you carry their burden

it will take your mind off yours 

your own burden will wither away from neglect

when they no longer need their burden

you can discard it

eventually you will be burden free

with an infinite capacity to relieve others

I want to be in your gang

Ian Hunter3 Comments

Oh Soaring birds

Way up high 

Riding the wind

Chasing rainbows

The sky is your playground

An aerial glider park

Free of rules

No traffic controllers

You come daily at dawn

In large groups

To watch the sunrise

Shooting the breeze

Wantonly hanging out

With your friends

Riding the thermals

Making fast turns

Diving between high rises

Dancing and swirling 

Trying to impress

Looking for a date

Searching for a mate

Love on wings

Living the high life

I want to be in your gang

Einstein would be proud of you*

Ian HunterLeave a comment

I have always been a fan of mathematics

Equations for everything

How fast is Infinity

Calculate the square root of tomorrow

How many days until I get happy

What is the solution to the beautiful equation

Mathematics is the key to the universe

Some say beauty is defined

By divine proportions

A mathematical equation

Guaranteed to dispense dopamine

Be it in nature or of human form

A fine painting or a classic car

We all yearn for viewing things so beautiful

When things are not going great for you

Just close your eyes

Go on a virtual voyage

To your favorite place

With beautiful scenery

And cool companions

Enjoy their company

Stay there until you feel happy

Then dare yourself to come back

Open your eyes

Applaud yourself

Award yourself a grade A++++

You have just solved

The beautiful equation

Einstein would be proud of you

Einstein would be proud of you

Ian Hunter3 Comments

I have always been a fan of mathematics

Equations for everything

How fast is Infinity

Calculate the square root of tomorrow

How many days until I get happy

What is the solution to the beautiful equation

Mathematics is the key to the universe

Some say beauty is defined

By divine proportions

A mathematical equation

Guaranteed to dispense dopamine

Be it in nature or of human form

A fine painting or a classic car

We all yearn for viewing things so beautiful

When things are not going great for you

Just close your eyes

Go on a virtual voyage

To your favorite place

With beautiful scenery

And cool companions

Enjoy their company

Stay there until you feel happy

Then dare yourself to come back

Open your eyes

Applaud yourself

Award yourself a grade A++++

You have just solved

The beautiful equation

Einstein would be proud of you