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.

Fallen green warriors rescued

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In the dead of night

An angry wind blew strong

Rushing around the building

His constant roar

Warning of his strength

Perpetuated by occasional short whistles

Signaling his mischievous intent

His deeds went unseen under the cloak of darkness

As the dawn approached he drew a breath

The eerie calm contradicted the visible damage

Tree branches severed and thrown to the ground

Outdoor furniture haphazardly rearranged

Loose objects torn from their homes

Carried to distant hiding places

The losses of their saddened owners

Become the surprise gifts to their finders

Plant pots unceremoniously toppled over

Like the fallen statues of historical figures

Who stood unmolested for decades

Until it was suddenly time for them to experience

The gale force winds of political correctness

The plants just lay there helpless

Soil scattered on the ground

As blood spilled in battle

These green wounded warriors

Silently waiting for an intervention

From their green-fingered owners

Soon to be upright with fresh soil and water

A few comforting words

Restoring their courage to bloom in floral beauty

Their flowers are free from discrimination

Producing a fine display

In any political climate

We have a lot to learn from them

How do you deal with your reality?

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Reality is there

All around you

Staring you in the face

Sometimes it is hard to accept

You may not like reality

You can try to ignore it

You can create your own version

To convince yourself it is different

But reality stands firm

Unwavering

Unimpressed by your fantasy version

You may decide to wage war on reality

Plunge yourself into a constant battle

It is a futile exercise

Reality reigns supreme

Reality will never change by your will

Reality totally ignores your fantasy

If you simply accept reality

Embrace it for what it is

Accept that it is never perfect

Acknowledge that your version was just a fantasy

Your fantasy will whither away and die

Reality will certainly forgive you

Welcoming you back

Without any hard feelings

Reality can become your best friend

Then comes the bonus part

You will have found peace

You only have 56 seconds to guess this 80’s TV show

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Pink flamingoes running

Flying low over the bay

Windsurfer dips in the water

Pretty girl in a parade

Jai lai player throws a ball

More low flying over water

Horses leave the starting gate

A line of Rolls Royce cars

Waterfront high rise condos

Two parrots head scratching

Greyhounds racing on a track

More high rise buildings

Two bikini clad girls step outside

Speedboats race across the bay

Miami skyline at night

Extra points if you can hear the music now

Why do…

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Photo by Ann H on Pexels.com

why do we always clean the house before the cleaning lady comes

why do I brush my teeth more than usual on the day I visit the dentist

why do we put on clean underwear every day just in case we get hit by a car and have to change in front of the nurses

why do we judge the quality of the food by the number of people in the restaurant

why do we think it fun to stand in a long line to buy concert tickets but get annoyed when we are fourth in line at the supermarket checkout

why do people spend an entire afternoon going from shop to shop to get the best grocery bargains then finish up at Starbucks and willingly pay an exorbitant price for a cup of coffee

why do we take so many selfies knowing we do not like looking at them

why do we assume that giving an expensive gift is better when we all know that the pleasure of receiving is not at all related to the value of the gift

why do we press our floor button on the elevator multiple times when its already lit up

why do I only talk to my phone and computer when they are not doing what I want

why do men insist on carrying 23 items to the checkout while women will use a cart to buy one small thing

why do I read the word Wednesday and hear a voice in my head yelling Wed NESS Day

Intersection reflection lesson

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Photo by Aleks Magnusson on Pexels.com

At that intersection

Pause for reflection

Focus on perception

Make an inspection

Notice every imperfection

Ask the question

Examine their expression

Spot any deception

Make an intervention

Present your rejection

Request a redirection

Hear their confession

Respect their profession

Accept their correction

Forgive their transgression

Learn a lesson

Cross that intersection

My DNA time capsule

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Owning an old house brings many challenges

Trying to figure out how it was originally built

Looking for clues into modifications done by previous owners

Tracing the lines of hidden plumbing and wiring

Each home improvement project takes on the mystery of an archeological dig

Giving insight into the lives of those who touched these spaces before

Wondering why they laid out the basement plumbing so bizarrely

With some sections of drainpipes sloping upwards

You question if previous owners knew what they were doing

Left to their own devices in times when there was no Youtube guidance

They just fumbled in the dark with no respect to codes and ordinances

Sometimes you just have to start over again and redo entire systems

The demolition hammer makes quick work

Tearing down structures that have been around for decades

Canceling out the sweat and toil of years gone by

Did the original owner ever imagine his work being dismantled one day

A few years ago I was framing in an old basement

Part of a remodeling project to upgrade a bathroom

I carelessly cut my thumb while working

A minor cut but enough to bleed all over the framing

I looked at the red-stained wood

Soon to be covered by new drywall sheets

My spilled DNA would be hidden for decades

It could be part of a time capsule

I left a note inside the drywall

Beneath here lies the blood of Ian Hunter spilled on this day of 2020

This framing was done to upgrade the toilet waste pipes

Here is a diagram to help you figure out how it all works

When you demolish, please do so with the utmost care and respect 

Stuff stuff stuff

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Be complacent and allow your stuff to grow

Be neat and stuff your stuff into the draw overflowing with stuff

Be untidy and stuff your stuff on top of your pile off stuff stuff

Be lazy and leave your stuff all over the place

Be creative and make artistic stuff with all your old stuff

Be generous and give all your stuff away

Be entrepreneurial and sell your stuff on eBay

Be stupid and use your eBay earnings to buy more stuff

Be sneaky and stuff your stuff next door

Be extravagant and pay somebody to take your stuff away

Be organized and make detailed plans on what to do with your stuff

Be predictable and never implement your stuff plans

Be sensible and stuff your stuff into the garbage

Be environmentally conscious and recycle your stuff

Be inventive and make a hovercraft from your stuff

Be smart and haul your stuff away in your stuff made hovercraft

Be famous and post your hovercraft stuff on social media stuff

Be an author and write stuff about your hovercraft stuff

Be melancholy and add your hovercraft stuff books to your stuff pile

Be evasive and refuse to accept any more deliveries of stuff

Be philanthropic and start a stuff foundation

Be sensible and bequeath all your stuff to your kids

Be submissive and let people stuff their stuff alongside your stuff

Be untruthful and tell folks all your stuff is very valuable stuff

Be paranoid and hide your stuff in case it gets stolen

Be romantic and tell your stuff you love it

Be a germaphobe and wash all your stuff clean

Be obnoxious and tell your stuff to get stuffed

Be stupid and get caught stealing stuff from somebody

Be ridiculous and plead not guilty to stealing stuff

Be crazy and write love letters to your stuff from jail

Be stuffy

Nocturnal soulmates reunited

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The full moon was low on the horizon

Moonbeams bouncing over the bay

A big dark cloud raced across the sky

The moon lit up the edge of the cloud

A valiant but futile protest

The cloud pushed on

Mischievously blocking all the moonbeams

The waters of the bay looked up

Urging the wind to shift that cloud

The wind responded with huge gusts

Soon the tail end of the cloud glowed silver

The cloud was simply blown away

A bold smile reappeared on the face of the moon

Moonbeams flooded the bay

We give thanks the wind said the waters

As the wind blew the cloud further away

The sky made a public declaration

Establishing a no fly zone around the moon

The wind settled down

The waters on the bay went flat calm

Moonbeams joyfully bounced off the water

The cloud looked back and sulked

He only wanted to see his shadow

The wind, the waters the sky and the moon all grinned

Nocturnal soulmates reunited

They chatted endlessly swapping stories

Recalling past adventures together

They drank moonshine all night

The wind provided the loud music

A dance floor was set up on the bay

They partied hard until dawn

Lunar landing map in a time capsule

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The bathroom wall looked great

A lick of fresh paint was all it needed

Until I installed new mirrors with LED backlighting

The light shot across the wall

It was brazenly honest and totally unforgiving

Illuminating every minor imperfection on the surface

Casting infinitely long shadows

The wall resembled a NASA lunar landing map

I considered smoothing it all out

Filling in all the deep craters and scratches

Sanding down all the lumps and bumps

But that would make a huge mess

The backlights would still magnify all remaining imperfections

So I decided to tile the wall

I thought it would only take one day

I soon learned that the wall was not just bumpy

None of the corners were square

The edges were neither straight nor level

I had to make a lot more tile cuts than envisaged

After three days it is almost done

The lunar landing map is now in a time capsule

Hidden behind an array of odd shaped tiles

I wondered why I had not seen the real state of the wall before

Then I realized what was happening

You can look at something a thousand times

You can be totally convinced that you know everything about it

But you never really see anything completely

Until you are forced to look at it in a different way

Mission accomplished

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Sometimes words are not enough

He gave up talking

When she stopped listening

Holding her tightly in his arms

A strong manly bear hug

She made no attempt to escape

Melting into him

She released the grip on her imprisoned emotions

Directing her feelings to the door of freedom

At first it was a gently cry

Shedding tears with jagged breaths

Growing steadily into a sobbing wail

Interrupted by short sharp intakes of gasping breath

She became a limp rag doll

Unable to stand without his support

Her whole body shook as she cried

The wailing slowly subsided

Replaced by labored heavy breathing

Her emotional prisoners had all escaped

Strength gradually returned to her limbs

She supported her own weight again

Her arms clung tightly to him

He relaxed the strength of his bear hug slightly

Suddenly he was the captive

She would decide when it was time to untangle

Her cold tears soaked his right shoulder

She lifted her head briefly

Softly brushing the tears from his wet shirt

A ceremonial apologetic gesture

Its Ok he whispered to her

She pulled back but still gripped him tightly

Their eyes locked onto each other

Peering into her soul

His eyes launched missiles loaded with hope

Drilling into the depths of her despair

She made no attempt to evade the onslaught

It was a direct hit

Missiles exploded on impact

Her hope tanks were fully replenished

She acknowledged receipt

With a slow blink

Mission accomplished