Be stoic
If you cannot be stoic
Find a stoic partner
And lean on them
Its better than being a Debbie Downer
When the going gets tough
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.
Owl magic
I stayed up late
Wrestling over a big decision
Not sure of the outcome
Hours of tapping on the keyboard
Flipping between screens
I decided to take a break
Stepping outside
Taking in the fresh air
Then I could could hear it
An owl calling me ever so clear
Hoot hoot, hoot hoot
I decided to listen harder
And ask the owl what I should do
He answered in owl talk
Do it do it to oooo do it to ooo
So I decided to do it
Despite all the risks
And it worked out great
I sang to the owls
Thank you too hoo
Thank you too hoo
The walking ghost
he thought about it for a very long time
carefully composing the words in his head
deciding what to say
and what not to say
eventually he sat down in a quiet space
with a blank sheet of paper
and his favorite pen
he wrote these words
I never imagined you were capable
of breaking my heart
but you did
and its still broken
I never imagined you were capable
of being so cruel to me
but you were
and it still hurts
I never imagined you were capable
of telling all those lies
but you did
and you never said sorry
I never imagined you were capable
of refusing to work things out
but you did
and you ended our relationship
its time for me to let you go
I have stopped searching for the answers
you have become the walking ghost
of a person I used to love
He put the letter in an envelope
addressed it and fixed a stamp
placed it in a drawer
and decided to never send it
What is the meaning of life?
it has been studied forever
and portrayed in a movie
countless books on the subject
be it philosophical or religious
they all waffle without real answers
there are however some indisputable facts
it all starts with birth
and ends in death
its the bit in the middle that is puzzling
here is the Cheeky Monkey interpretation
whether you are a virus or a human
it all boils down to three things
find somewhere to live
reproduce
make a difference along the way
sadly many never achieve all three in their lifetime
those who do are blessed
for them everything else in life is a bonus to enjoy
I loved that car
Many years ago
I owned an RS2000
A very sporty Ford Escort
Highly modified and fast
I loved that car
Spending hours tuning it
Always kept it clean
It was bright yellow
It was my daily driver
I took it to work
Parked in the same spot
Close to the office door
One day after work
I stepped outside
My car was not there
It had been stolen
It was locked
A few feet from my office window
In broad daylight
Nobody saw it taken
I filed a police report
When I told them the make
The officer just sighed
Its probably dismantled now
Being sold in parts
For a standard Ford
With serial numbers erased
No way to ever trace it
I bought a shiny replacement
I never enjoyed owning it
Paranoid about it being stolen
I exchanged it for a Volvo
looking out the window
Looking out the window
Her baby in her arms
She saw an old lady walking
They smiled at each other
Looking out the window
Her baby was walking now
She watched her play outside
The child waved and she smiled
Looking out the window
Her daughter went to school now
She watched her walking home
She smiled when she got close
Looking out the window
Her daughter was starting college
She watched her packing the car
She smiled as she drove away
Looking out the window
Her daughter was a grown woman
She watched her leaving home
She smiled as she waved goodbye
Looking out the window
Her grandchild in her arms
She saw the same old lady walking
They smiled at each other
Looking out the window
There was nobody outside
She saw the face of that same old lady
She smiled at her own reflection
Hay fever or cabin fever
I stepped outside to watch the sunrise today
within seconds I was sneezing and my eyes were watering
spring and summertime here is notorious for allergies
but how can anybody be allergic to sunrise
pollen clouds fill the air like CS gas at a riot
the once silver paint on my car was turned yellow
our house siding needs power washing annually
and all because the pine trees are such messy lovers
don’t think its over when the yellow dust clouds are gone
grass pollen is invisible and will fire up your allergies
then there is ragweed to irritate your respiratory system
the list of plant based airborne attackers is endless
pollen is the malware of the air we breathe
Russian hackers shake the trees to release more pollen
forcing you to stay inside and surf the web
virus loaded fake adds for Claritin await you
better drive to the pharmacy to buy your antihistamine
weaving through the wrecks of sneeze induced crashes
to find all the shelves totally bare of allergy medication
memories of shopping for bread and toilet rolls before a hurricane
maybe stay inside and tape up all the doors and windows
live in a hermetically sealed bubble breathing through a hepa filter
disconnect the internet and go off the grid to be totally virus free
which one will get to you first…….. hay fever or cabin fever?
only on a few days each year
we decorated a vase with a branch
added a few feathers some moss and greenery
it sits in a corner of the house
illuminated at night with uplighting
the rough bark texture is stunning
contrasting the adjacent smooth walls and windows
it explodes with color on a few days each year
when the rising sun shines through and east window
bathing the sculpture in bright orange light
the spectacle only lasts a few minutes
turning it into a blazing orange torch
reminding me that the branch was once on a living tree
that rose up and grew fed by sunlight
sunlight and dead branch briefly reunited
their combined beauty is breathtaking but short lived
well worth getting up early to witness
spitting image
Spitting Image
A TV puppet show
From England
Caricatures of real people
With features wildly exaggerated
And behaviors so cruelly mimicked
Obviously fake
But strangely more real
Than the real fake people it portrays
We live in a world
Of fake politicians
Bleating and tweeting
More focussed on their ratings
Than their role of governing
Spitting Image has become so popular
That fake politicians demand to be in it
To be the puppeteer
For their own puppet
To spit inside their own image
Forget your version of reality
Its so passé
Nobody believes in truth and honesty anymore
Thats just old school
Who is to say what is right or wrong
When leaders deny truth often enough
People will believe their fake version
Leave the real world behind
Live in the real fake world of
Spitting Image
Nocturnal Love
longtime lovers
Greek island
evening stroll
secluded beach
moonlit bay
back lighting
perfect shadows
camera ready
striking pose
arms reaching
hands heart
leaning in
camera clicks
moment captured
memory shared
longtime lovers
nocturnal love
Cheeky Monkey Poetry 