Author: Ian Hunter

I retired from the energy business in 2014 and started writing poetry. At first I shared my writing with family and friends. Then I set myself a challenge to write a poem every day for a year. After meeting that goal I just kept going and started this blog in 2021. I hope you enjoy reading my poems. Remember happiness is just a state of mind and poetry is great nourishment.

Vacations and stress

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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?

Learn to say no

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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

celebrating being in the race with a cup of tea

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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

A cage without bars

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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

Epic Journey

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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?

Chasing rainbows on the NC 500

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We set off from Inverness on the North Coast 500 mile road trip

We selected an anti clockwise loop

Rolling hills covered in yellow Gorse to our left

Angry seas decorated with massive offshore wind farms to our right

The wind was howling when we reached John O’Groats

Bright sunshine interrupted by frequent rain showers

The North Sea seemed to be planning a land invasion

Pounding waves and spray battered the shoreline

It was late May but felt like winter

Brave tourists snapped rapid selfies at the most northerly part of the UK

Rapidly retreating to the shelter of the gift shop

Spectacular scenery best enjoyed from a warm and dry place

We stayed in a nearby rented house

Nature delivered a rainbow outside our back window which we claimed to be just for us

Deer passed by as the winds howled relentlessly

The sunset views were breathtaking

We made hot tea as we made special memories

Chasing rainbows as we were chased by horizontal rain

Friendships are the perennial flowers sewn by the seeds of acquaintanceships

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Its nice to meet new people

Get to know them

Become acquainted

Discover what makes them tick

While they do the same towards you

Sometimes things do not click

You may naturally drift apart

For no apparent reason

Without any bad feelings

Sometimes a lasting friendship blossoms

You become soulmates

Always looking out for each other

Ready to lend a helping hand

Offering a shoulder to cry on

Or just an ear to listen

You will laugh a lot together

Cry a little too

Memories will be made

You might be physically separated

Perhaps not see each other so often

Friendship will still endure

You will gain an extra brother or sister

Reunions will be sweet

Picking up where you left off

Acquaintances will come and go

Some will bloom briefly but fade away

Friendships are the perennial flowers 

Sewn by the seeds of acquaintanceships

Things that make you go oooooh!

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the smell of fresh rain

The sound of a door opening

Stirring hot tea

Hugs

Slicing crumbly cheese

Birds singing

Reading a bedtime story to child

Singing in the shower

Watching the sunrise

Happy hours

Greeting a friend

Sunsets

Key lime pie

Fixing a broken toy for a child

Jazz on the radio

Frying sausages

Mailing a gift

A clean shirt

Holding hands

Making a chopped salad

Firework displays

The sound of the ocean

Exercising

Making a bed

Listening to a waterfall

Adding butter to mashed potatoes 

Cutting flowers in a garden

Fluffy white clouds

A cold beer

A warm beer if you are English

Holding a door open for the person following

A crisp white wine

Smiling back at somebody

The smell of fresh ground pepper

Mending a fuse

Learning to dance

Holding an umbrella in the rain

Flying a kite

Taking a nap

Dreaming

Waking up

Thinking

Writing

Poetry