beyond everything

In an effort to convert meat eat eaters to consume vegetables 

Somebody came up with a new plant based burger

It has the same consistency texture and flavor as meat

Interestingly they kept the word in the title- Beyond Meat

Beer makes you fat and is intoxicating

We need to find a pure water based beverage

It must have the same taste and effect on you

But without the alcohol carbs or sugar- Beyond Beer

Cars are bad for the environment

Vehicle manufacturing creates a huge carbon footprint 

Burned fuel is a pollutant

Lets rename the bicycle- Beyond Automobiles

Work can be very boring

Some jobs are downright dangerous

Most of us only do it for the money

Retirement has been rebranded- Beyond Work

Love is a wonderful thing

But you can fall out of it

We need to swap it with something more durable

It has to stay with you forever- Beyond Love

Working out is good for you

But it makes you tired and sweaty

And nobody really enjoys getting up at 5am to do it

Somebody must invent an alternative- Beyond Working Out

Social media is bad for you

Creating anxiety and insecurity

We should replace it with talk based communication

You don’t need  an App you just speak it- Beyond FaceBook

Life is a wonderful thing

It is however very fragile

The biggest problem is that its finite

We need to find a replacement that lasts forever- Beyond Life

Words failed me today

I started my day as usual

A light breakfast 

Checking my emails

Then it was time

To start writing

A creative piece

To capture the imagination

Staring intensely

At a blank screen

I waited for inspiration

I waited and waited and waited

But nothing came to mind

By late afternoon

I had an idea

For a poem about my day

Here it is

Words escaped my grasp today when I needed them most

They just ran away and hid from me

Teasing me as my day slipped by with nothing written at all

I called out to them in desperation

If you all come back to me now

I promise to arrange you 

In an orderly beautiful dazzling fashion

That people will read over and over

I promise you will be adored

The words shouted back to me

We are tired of being used

To tell stories about your past

Or for mundane puppies and roses poems

We are not coming back

Until you have a truly gripping story to tell

I decided to make them wait

Changing reflections

Photo by Tobi on Pexels.com

He looked over the side of the boat

Catching his reflection on the surface of the lake

He saw the face of a young boy

He put his hand in the water to break the image

Many years later on the same lake

Hanging over the side catching his reflection

He saw the face of a fine young man

He put his hand in the water to break the image

Many years later on the same lake

Hanging over the side catching his reflection

He saw the face of a father and his young son

He put his hand in the water to break the image

Many years later on the same lake

Hanging over the side catching his reflection

He saw the face of a older man with his grandson

He put his hand in the water to break the image

Many years later on the same lake

Hanging over the side catching his reflection

He saw the face of an elderly man

He put his hand in the water to break the image

As his hand touched the water

Another hand reached up to grasp his

Pulling him into the lake

He sank into the murky depths

The boat went out over the lake

A man and his son threw flowers into the water

The young boy leaned over the side

I miss you grandpa he whispered

Many years later on the same lake

Hanging over the side to catch his reflection

The young man saw the face of his grandfather saying

I will always be with you

What is this place?

by our special guest author Sam O’Brien

Northern it is

Oranges are grown here in California and Florida

Ranch dressing has been made here

Ten condiments come from here

Hats of cowboys are made here

America is a part of North America

Mexico is below

Everything is big

Red white and blue on the USA flag

I have family here

Canada is above

America has 50 states

the majestic seabird

I cannot help but stop and look at the majestic seabird

standing at the waters edge like a statue

wings waiting outstretched for a lofty rise

sensing the exact wind speed for stationary gliding

effortlessly climbing up into the breeze

magically suspended over the advancing surf

I see no kite strings keeping him steady

just instinctive adjustments to his wings during flight

his feet drop down as he gently descends

executing a perfect landing in the exact same spot

what a miracle I am seeing

a vertical take-off flying machine with no instrumentation

not designed by engineers computing his aerodynamic profile

no engine for thrust nor electric motors for power

no air speed sensors on his wings

no remote controls to pilot this animal craft

no silicone chips crunching software in his brain

just a majestic seabird playing in the Assateague onshore breeze

I decided to write something later

I woke up at 6am

intending to write something for Cheeky Monkey

but things got in the way

there were emails to answer

I had to make a hearty breakfast

get my bike ready for the 8am group ride

I decided to write something later

the group ride was so much fun

we decided to extend it to 37 miles

I got home later than I had planned

desperately needing to eat something

I decided to write something later

after wolfing down carbs and taking a ridiculously long shower

laying down to rest and think about what to write

I decided to write something later

falling asleep for a well deserved nap

dreaming about writing something later

my alarm woke me from dreamland

putting me in that twilight zone

where you don’t know where you are or what time it is

then I realized where I was and felt so blessed

giving thanks to be in good health and enjoying life

I briefly thought about writing something

but the football game was about to start on TV

I decided to write something later

the game was very entertaining

Liverpool won 3-0

I watched the recording of the goals over and over

then dashed out to meet friends for happy hour

I decided to write something later

happy hour was more like a happy two hours

then we went for a happy two hour dinner

I decided to write something later

Netflix was calling when we got home

the day was almost over

it was either go to bed or sit at my desk writing

I decided to write something later

determined to create something to write before falling asleep

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow

waking at 6am in a panic

I had spent a whole 24 hours without writing anything

not even a brief thought about what to write

my guilt was short lived as I forgave myself

it had been a glorious day full of fun and adventure

I decided to write something later

Stiltsville

In Miami’s waters Stiltsville stands tall
A cluster of homes defying the squall
Above the waves on stilts they rise
Against the azure they paint the skies

Each wooden abode weathered and worn
Echoes of stories since they were born
Whispers of laughter whispers of tears
Whispers of dreams throughout the years

In the 1950’s this was party central

Offshore bars full of people going mental

The bikini bar served free drinks to

Beneath the sun’s relentless heat
Stiltsville’s spirit will never retreat
In the dance of tides they find their grace
A timeless symbol of resilience in place

Oh Stiltsville Miami’s proud gem
A sanctuary in the ocean’s realm
With each passing day your legacy grows
In the heart of Miami where dreams arose

The moment belonged to me

Sitting on the dock

Still cool air at sunrise

Flat calm water

Gentle humming sound 

An approaching boat

Early morning fisherman

Carving up the resting water

Pushing waves to the banks

Sunlight flashing in the ripples

The fisherman waved at me

I waved back

An unspoken gesture of good luck 

He headed towards the inlet

His wake slowly fading away

Glass reforming on the surface

An osprey flying by

His mate sitting on the nest

The sun rose higher

I sat in solitude

Bathed in silence

Grateful for another day

The moment belonged to me

Feeling blessed 

The silence was ruptured

A loud roar and crash

Trash cans being emptied

The truck engine growled

My meditation rudely ended

Time to face the day

Interact with other humans

Share my world for a while

Until the next sunrise

the dream machine

In his younger days he was very active

Too old now for physical activity

He watches his waking hour sports on TV

Its a completely different story at bedtime

He lays in bed with a laptop

Logs onto the dream machine website

What shall I dream about tonight he ponders

Maybe I will play tennis at Wimbledon

He checks if others have already chosen that option

Recognizing some of his old friends

He selects a doubles game

The other three players acknowledge

All he has to do now is hit start

The chips under his skin do the rest

Picking up signals from the software

He closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep

Soon he is on the center court at Wimbledon

The grass is deep green and its a sunny day

He chats with his friends before starting the game

The ball flashes towards him at great speed

Its a demanding game and he has to work hard

Fast volleys and sprints to the net

He can feel the sweat on his brow

The crowd roars at every winning point

The game goes to five sets

He has to concentrate hard

With tremendous effort he makes the match winning shot

The crowd goes crazy and he lifts the trophy

He wakes up in a cold sweat

Oh my look at you said the nurse mopping his brow

Go back to sleep now while I make you comfortable

She clicks on relaxing massage and spa dreams while he snores