Dream it
Think it
Recognize it
Visualize it
Nurture it
Admire it
Record it
Guard it
Shape it
Grow it
Test it
Modify it
Improve it
Test it
Adore it
Realize it
Make it
Live it
Love it
Share it
If you have a great idea
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.
Its that time
Its cold outside
Summer fun ended
Abrupt temperature swing
Leaves falling down
Trees are bare
Braced for winter
Winds from north
Bite exposed flesh
Only two options
Go into hibernation
Migrate further south
Former not appealing
Dusting off wings
Snowbirds fly south
We play outdoors
While northerners shivver
Goodbye cold north
Hello sunshine state
Digital Fame
Long eyelashes
Internet crashes
Makeup repairs
Beautiful affairs
Lipstick applied
Inhibitions denied
Eyebrows plucked
Innuendos ducked
Hair highlighted
Everyone delighted
Beauty personified
Influencer glorified
Internet fame
Instant flame
Followers flock
Enviers mock
Fortune obtained
Spending unconstrained
Hacked account
Troubles mount
Website fried
Access denied
Suddenly unrecognized
Digitally demonized
Images distorted
Face contorted
Obviously fake
No mistake
Pixels stolen
Stories woven
Electronic hate
Terrible fate
Reputation lost
Fame tossed
Flooding tears
Lipstick smears
Fortune crashed
Eyelashes trashed
Duck Apple Night
Its that time of year
Pumpkins carved
Homes decorated with spooky figures
Halloween costume parties
Children trick or treating
Bags of candy being handed out
My earliest memories of Halloween are very different
As a child growing up in northern England
There was no trick or treat back then
No constumes
We did not even call it Halloween
It was duck apple night
A large tub filled with water
Apples floating on the surface
We would kneel over the tub, hands behind our back
Trying to capture an apple with our teeth
It was an evening of family fun and we all got soaked
Duck apple or apple bobbing can be traced back to the the Roman invasion of Britain in 55BC
The Romans merged their religious celebrations with Celtic Britain
The apple tree, which was a Roman symbol of plenty (Pomona) was introduced in to Britain
The apple floating in water was used to see if an unmarried person was due to be married
The first person to bite in to the apple would be the next person to be married
Girls who ‘bobbed’ i.e bit in to a floating apple, would place the bitten apple under their pillow to dream of their future lover
The Journey
Its been a month on the road and in the air
We flew to London
Then flew to Milan
Drove to Tuscany
Met our Miami besties
Stayed at a Vineyard
Drove to Sienna
Took a train to Civitavecchia
Boarded a cruise ship
Sailed to Crete
Stopped in Greece
Explored Istanbul
Wandered around Sorento
Drove to Rome
Explored Rome
Said goodbye to our Miami besties
Flew to London
Drove to East Sussex
Had a whole week with the family
Saw my grandson in a play
Laughed a lot
Cried a little
Walked on Brighton Pier
Visited the home of King George IV
Ate fabulous meals
Drank fine wines
Drank warm beer in English pubs
Played games
Exchanged lots of hugs
Felt the family love
Drove to Heathrow
Now waiting to board a plane to DC
Its been an incredible journey
Made lots of memories
Took a lot of selfies
Probably gained a few pounds
Would do it all again
Its a dogs life
my name is Daisy
I live in an English farmhouse
we have a big garden
I often go outside to pee
I sleep a lot
my owners put food in my bowl
I slurp when I drink
I like tummy rubs
they take me on daily walks
they think they lead the way
but I am their leader
I pull them around
their arms get tired
when we get back I take a nap
usually on the couch
I like to steal socks
I might let go for a treat
they think I am trained
but its me who trained them
to give me a treat when I sit or lay down
if they go out and leave me
I take a long nap
when they come back
I wag my tail and jump on them
they are so grateful
that they give me more treats
who said its a dogs life
my life is great
better than most humans
Hygge (pronounced Hyoo.guh)
yesterday we played a game called hygge with the family
its not a game where you compete to win
its a deck of cards with interesting conversation starters
What dish do you make best?
who do you admire most?
if you had a spare room at home what would you use it for?
what two things would you grab if your house was on fire?
it was a lot of fun
I decided to find more out about the game origins
hygge is a Danish word that describes a contended mood evoked by comfort and conviviality
there is no direct English word for hygge
hygge has spread internationally
hygge was runner up in the 2016 word of the year in UK after Brexit
Mark Waking wrote “The Little Book of Hygge”
It describes the ten principles of the Hygge manifesto
Atmosphere
Presence
Pleasure
Equality
Gratitude
Harmony
Comfort
Truce
Togetherness
Shelter
a lot of my writing could be classified as hygge
especially those bringing warmth and cosiness in winter
welcome to Cheeky Monkey Hygge Poetry
Autumn in England
autumn has arrived in East Sussex
its cool and cloudy most days
it rains frequently
summer is over
a cup of tea with breakfast
looking out over the garden
fruit cropping is finished
summer vegetables all harvested
grass cutting is suspended until spring
leaves are starting to change color
days are getting shorter
it will soon be halloween
pumpkins are ready for carving
cosy evenings by an open fire
drinking warm English beer
telling tales on dark nights
making plans for the future
the seasons roll on
Day 11 – Veni Vidi but no Vici
Our ship docked at Civitavecchia outside Rome
We found our driver but the traffic was heavy due to the rail strike
We reached Rome late morning and dropped our bags at the AirBnB
We planned to conquer Rome on foot
Starting with the Spanish Steps
Unfortunately there were so many tourists it was hard to see any steps at all
Onward we marched towards the Trevi Fountain
Through a heaving sea of wall to wall tourists
We found the fountain under siege from selfie seeking tourists
There must have been ten thousand people around it
Our mission to conquer Rome was a total failure
We decided to return to the Air BnB, take a nap and then head out for a quiet dinner
Fortunately our dinner reservation was not in a touristy area
We had a fabulous meal to round off our our Italian adventure
The next morning we flew to London to spend time with our family
We reflected on the things we had learned during this memorable trip
The volume of tourists even in the shoulder season of October was astronomical
We are not sure if this is a post Covid phenomena or just the world population exploding
The second thing we reflected on was human conflict and wars
Its not a new thing as we learned the history of conflicts surrounding the ancient ruins we visited
Mankind has been waging war for thousands of years
Even with the lessons learned in history it still goes on today
Very sad
Other than that we had a truly fabulous vacation
Day 10 Naples
Our last port of call before the end of the cruise
We opted to skip Naples completely
Instead we took a ferry to Sorrento
Its a small ferry and packed to capacity
Its only a 45 minute ride but it rocked and bounced all the way
Spectacular views of the coastline
Sorrento is perched on the top of a cliff
No cable cars here so its a long walk up a winding road with plenty of stairs to climb
Eventually we reach the square in the middle of town
Its a cute place bustling with people but not overcrowded so its easy to walk around
We decided to explore a pedestrianized street and browse the shops
Sorrento is famous for lemon cello and its on sale everywhere
Lemon souvenirs are everywhere too
We wander into a cute clothing store to buy me a shirt
I pick out a plain blue linen shirt
My first purchase of the entire trip
We continue wandering down narrow alley ways lined with shops
With just a couple of hours at Sorrento we look for a place to eat lunch
Opting for a pizza place with outdoor seating
Of course we order pizza but also a tasty octopus salad and a delicious ham and melon dish
We engage in our favorite sports of eating and people watching
The walk downhill to the ferry is much quicker than the climb up
We have enough time to drink a refreshing lemon cello spritz
The return ferry is a much bigger twin hull jet boat
Much more stable and a smooth ride back
Thankfully the big lunch stays down
The ferry docks right next to our ship
Within minutes we are back on board
I decide to pack my case as we have to disembark early tomorrow
We learn that there will be a national strike on Italian railroads tomorrow
Our planned train journey to Rome will not be possible
I spend over an hour online trying to book a taxi to take us from the ship to Rome
Eventually the reservation is complete and we can enjoy our last evening on the cruise
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 