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.

chasing memories of shadows

Ian HunterLeave a comment

Long shadows at the end of a long day

It went so fast

Never got all the things done I had hoped 

Watching the shadows get longer

Wishing I was young again

Carefree and ready for anything

Days seemed much longer back then

Watching the shadows get longer

It will soon be sunset

A long dark night to follow

Nights seemed brighter when I was young

Watching the shadows get longer

Sunset was over in a flash

They lasted longer when I was young

I remember watching them for hours on end

Watching the shadows disappear

Its nighttime now

Preparing for a quiet night in tonight

I remember those all night parties when I was young

Watching my memories get longer now

I did not sleep much

Tossed and turned throughout the night

The sun just came up

Watching the shadows get shorter now

Its that midday heatwave

Sun directly overhead and its ever so hot outside

Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in this

Looking for my missing shadow

Swear words

Ian Hunter1 Comment

entering my 

metal box

push button

move lever

press pedal

turn wheel

go fast

watch world 

flashing by

see bird 

soaring along

pretty bird

flying low

big bang

sudden stop

big tree

steam rising

metal box 

all bent

push button

move lever

press pedal

nothing happens

engine thing

is broken

swear words

abandon my

metal box

swear words

walk home

swear words

blame bird

swear words

what would you dare whisper to the wind

Ian HunterLeave a comment

The wind blew hard all day

Incessant undulating waves of mad moving manic air

Hissing and whooshing and crackling

Flipping over the patio furniture during frequent uncontrolled delinquent rages

Angry bands of heavy almost horizontal rain crashed in without warning

Soaking the ground with vigor

Flooding the roads with fast flowing miniature rivers

When the rain stopped the wind dried everything in minutes

During the day the sound of heavy city traffic competed with the wind

As the evening arrived the wind noise rose above all 

By nightfall it was a deafening torrent

In the dead of night it was an explosive roaring menace

The building stood from as the howling wind screamed by

Windows rattled and shook in disbelief

Trees rustled and braced themselves against the invisible force

Innocent chairs outside were cruelly slammed into the fence

All this mischief went on throughout the long night

It was hard to sleep under siege

Having no control

Surrendering to the unstoppable power of the wind

As the full moon looked down in silent disapproval

By morning the noise had dropped to a steady blow

It was time to step outside and survey the damage

Cleaning up after natures drunken tantrums 

I whispered I forgive you into the wind

Ghosts under water

Ian HunterLeave a comment

Oh mighty ocean

What tales can you tell

Of bygone days

With sailing ships and pirates

How many ships perished in these seas

Condemned to rest in Davy Jones Locker

Sunk without trace

No footprints left on the ocean surface

Just calm blue waters rippling

Secrets locked away

Ghosts under water

romantic rain ramblings

Ian HunterLeave a comment

Ridiculous radar realized

Cunningly concealed clouds

Random rain received 

Delightfully delicate drops

Very vertically vectored 

Windless wandering washing

Rain romance revival

Remembering rain kisses

Seductive soaking streams

Positively passionate precipitation

Delicious dewy drops

Marvelous moist madness

Advancing aqua avalanche

Breathtaking bubbling baths

Effervescent evening encores

Jerky jolly juices 

Serendipitous serious soakings

Is the earth flat?

Ian HunterLeave a comment

some say the earth is flat

it seems that way when you walk around

but what happens when you reach the edge

will you fall off if you keep walking

I found the answer on the internet

you just get teleported back to the other side

so you will never fall off

It would be a long walk home though

we can all sleep soundly tonight

She learned to smile again

Ian Hunter2 Comments

Clouds hung over the bay

Rain falling all day

Incessant soaking rain

She was determined to walk as usual

Donning a waterproof jacket

Stepping out into the cool afternoon air

Her face was soon dripping wet

It was the perfect cover for her silent tears

She walked the empty trail along the water’s edge

Reminiscing of her lost love

He had passed away a year ago

Each step brought more pain

She paused to take a breath

Looking out over the bay

Searching for answers that will never be found

Loneliness was eating her away from the inside

Sadness clung to her like weighted overcoat

Her silent tears washed away in the rain

A stray dog walked towards her

Stopping by her feet and looking up at her

She bent down to pat him

He had no collar or name tag

Are you lost? she asked him

His eyes fixed upon hers

Lets go home she told him

He walked by her side attentively

Once home she dried his soaked fur and fed him

She was tempted to adopt him

He had already decided to adopt her

She looked at him and asked did he send you?

The dog barked a yes

She named him after her husband

No more lonely walks

He stayed by her side at all times

Her tears stopped flowing

She learned to smile again

A mid Atlantic encounter

Ian Hunter2 Comments

There is not much to see in the middle of the Atlantic

Moderate seas with a stiff breeze and clear skies

No whales jumping

No passing ships

Just the gentle waves bumping into the ship’s wake

I sat on my balcony reflecting on life

Being on a cruise relieves you from the daily chores of the real world

Gifting you with an abundance of free time to do as you wish

I had been to the gym

Devoured a hearty breakfast

Attended a very interesting history lecture

It was my time to do nothing

Staring over the ocean from my private balcony

Suddenly a bird appeared flying parallel to the ship

He was maybe a few hundred feet away

A large bird battling the headwind

Darting and swooping to stay on course

I suspected he saw me on my balcony

He veered closer to get a better look

Flying maybe 50 feet from the ship

He stayed level with me for a minute or so

I tried to imagine what he was thinking

I have been flying for ages since leaving the east coast of America

There is still a long way to go before I can land in Africa

Its hard work battling this headwind but I will keep going

Its lonely out here on my own

Nobody is carrying me along like you

Nobody is feeding me or entertaining me all day

I don’t sleep in a comfortable bed

I just keep battling these headwinds for days on end

While you sit on a balcony doing nothing at all

Be grateful for what you have and for what others do for you

Use your time wisely and never forget that there are others who struggle daily just to survive

Be humble and remember this encounter

I gave him a wave to acknowledge receipt of his message

He immediately veered away and picked up the pace to pass the ship

I tried to imagine how hard it must be to fly solo for 3,000 miles over the ocean

I would not swap places with him

I doubt if he would we want my life either

I hoped he reached land safely

I decided to skip lunch

I spent the afternoon watching the waves and thinking about my life

Then I felt hungry and hit the buffet hard

Food coma induced dreams soon followed

I was a bird flying solo over the Atlantic ocean

I spotted a cruise ship and flew closer to take a look

Just a bunch of dumb humans being ferried to Africa

They mostly looked overfed and lazy

One of them was looking at me from his balcony

I flew closer to get a look at him

I wondered what he was thinking

A drop in the Ocean

Ian HunterLeave a comment

I woke up early

The ship was rocking gently

Light was peeking through the curtains

We had left Miami two days earlier and made a half day stop in the Bahamas

I checked our current position

Bermuda was our next destination but still around 500 miles away

I drank a small glass of water

Conscious of this precious commodity

Hydration promoted a call of nature

The toilet flush consumed maybe 2 gallons if water

I cleaned my teeth but brazenly left the water running

I probably wasted 4 gallons of water

I tried to wash off my water wasting guilt with a quick shower

My thoughts wandered as the hot stream flowed over me

My lingering shower probably wasted another 20 gallons of water

I still felt guilty about the 26 gallons I had used before breakfast

The bathrobe felt good but I wondered how many gallons had gone into it’s making and all the regularly laundering

I stepped out onto the balcony

Clear blue skies and calm seas on the Atlantic Ocean

Nothing to be seen but sky and water

Its going to be a long way to Lisbon

Crossing an ocean that covers 20% of the earth’s surface

That is more than 30 million square miles

Suddenly the world seems less crowded

I am floating in an ocean that contains 100 Million Billion Gallons of water

Lets assume that all this water was divided equally among everybody living in the United States

Each person would have more than 100,000 Million gallons of their own

My pre breakfast ablutions were just a drop in the ocean

I looked at the map again

We were bang in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle

I wondered if I was to be swallowed up by the water conservation gods and never seen again?

It’s all about understanding the process

Ian Hunter1 Comment

Obtain a detailed understanding of how the system works

Observe the symptoms when things are not running at optimum levels

Take measurements and analyze the data

Develop solutions and test them with documented measurements

If they don’t work well, regroup and take a different path

Keep adjusting until the system is back to working at optimum performance levels

Identify the best methods to maintain the system and implement them

Check in regularly even when the system is working well

Now take the quiz

Who does this process apply to?

a) An engineer

B) A medical doctor

C) A person trying to live a full and meaningfull life

D) All the above

What is your answer?