Category: poetry

I decided to write something later

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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

Ian Hunter2 Comments

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

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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

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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

What time is it

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what time is it

time to wake up

what time is it

time to get up

what time is it

time to shower

what time is it

time to get dressed

what time is it

time to eat breakfast

what time is it

time to go to work

what time is it

time to eat lunch

what time is it

time to go home

what time is it

time to eat dinner

what time is it

time to watch TV

what time is it

time to brush teeth

what time is it

time to sleep

what time is it

time to dream

what time is it

stop asking me

what time is

stop asking

what time is

its the

what time

end

what

now

wha

no

wh

I

w

Spaghetti and winking lights strike fear

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I can remember when you just plugged in a TV

and placed an antenna on top

in those days we only had two channels

deciding what to watch was easy

today our smart TV and internet comes via cable

we have thousands of channels

and the ability to play music throughout the house

I wonder if the extra choice is enriching my life

of course this is no longer plug and play

we have seven electronic boxes in a media cabinet

routers bridges amplifiers switches and modems

all linked by miles of spaghetti wiring

lights wink at me when I open the cabinet 

some flashing blue others white and green

I have no idea what they are telling me

I wonder if they stop winking when the cabinet door is closed

friends reunited

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There was a knock at the door

Mary opened it and smiled

It was her best friend Jane

She had not seen her in a long time

They hugged like there was no tomorrow

Tears rain down their cheeks

They were both gasping for breath

Eventually they untangled from their long embrace

Mary stood back to look at her friend

It had been three years since she last saw her

Jane looked exactly the same

They went inside holding hands

They sat on the sofa in silence looking at each other

Loving eyes talking to each other

Not daring to blink

In case this was a dream that might evaporate

They talked non stop catching up

Lots of adventures to share

A few tears shed but lots of laughter 

The wine flowed freely 

So why did you come back now asked Mary

Jane started to cry 

Mary tried to console her friend

She just sobbed incessantly

Eventually Jane gained her composure

I came back to see my sister

Who would that be asked Mary

YOU! sobbed Jane as broke down again

I found that we were both adopted from the same mother

Mary looked at her anxiously and said

I had better cancel the blind date I had set up for you 

It was with your new brother

Scooters save wear on your shoes

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Electric scooters are the new mode of transport around town

People whizzing along the streets

Sometimes riding on the sidewalks

They go quite fast

Does this mean people drive less

Or are they too lazy to walk or cycle

Are these scooters really good for the environment

I wonder what their carbon footprint is

Recent research suggests they are not as green as claimed

Riders discard them in random places

Many are thrown into waterways

Or damaged beyond repair

The average life of rental scooter is only 28 days

So the carbon footprint of manufacturing a scooter

Is repeated every month which is not great for the environment

There are also emissions from the vehicles collecting them for charging

Two thirds of all scooter riders admit they would have walked

Meaning that scooters don’t really replace cars

Sure they are fun to ride

But they are not as eco friendly as claimed

Future city planners will ban conventional cars completely

All transport will be some form of electric vehicle

From light trucks and driverless cars to bikes and scooters

With passenger drone taxis filling the skies

We will ride electric vehicles to the gym

And ride stationary bikes for exercise

The bikes will generate electricity

Which will recharge all the electric vehicles

Robots will perform all manufacturing tasks

Nobody will walk anymore

Sidewalks will become redundant

Shoes will never wear out

Same word different meaning

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……………………….

The brat farted in the mist and gifted a kiss before he bit a cookie and ate salsa which made him barf

……………………………………………..

You probably think of a brat as an unruly child,  in Russia it means a brother or a friend like a bro

Mention of a fart usually brings laughter but in German fahrt means journey

Mist conjures up images of dewy mornings but in German it means manure

Everybody likes to receive a gift but its the word for poison in German

Its very romantic to invite somebody to kiss you but in Sweden kiss is the word for urine

We all like to bite into a cookie.  In France bite means penis,  in Hungary a cookie is a small penis

Salsa is great with chips. However in Korean salsa means diarrhea

Nobody looks forward to a large barf except in Farsi its the word for snowfall

…………………………………………………….

Your bro went on a journey through the manure and poison urine. His penis was a small penis and he had diarrhea in a snowfall

………………………….

900 Cheeky Monkeys!!!!!

Ian Hunter4 Comments
Photo by George Becker on Pexels.com

Cheeky Monkey has just passed 900 pieces of writing!

What started out as a poem a day challenge has morphed into a long term literary love affair

Its been a sweet ride for most of the time

A few bumps in the road have interrupted the flow

But the Cheeky Monkey keeps on rolling along

Sometimes its a short story

Other times its a travel blog

Occasionally is a beautiful piece of original poetry

Mostly its just random thoughts slipping from my mind onto the page

I get my inspiration from what I see daily and my reflections on life in general

Having been on the planet for almost three score and ten years does help

I have collected a lot of memories along the way

Now its your turn to have them bouncing around inside your head

You may not like all of them but hopefully you can find something amusing or meaningful

A big shout out to Addison and Abby for creating and managing the Cheeky Monkey website

And of course to my proof reader and chief censor Karen

She has saved me from the embarrassment of many a bad tale I wrote 

Without her the Cheeky Monkey would often be running to the hills to hide in shame

So now lets take a few moments to explore the magic of reaching 900, a number which is linked to angels

The ultimate meaning of angel number 900 centers around balance and refocus

Your angels are signaling that you should take a look at your life and see which areas need more balance

This could be in the area of work, relationships, or any other part of your life

Your angels are reminding you to take the time to reassess your priorities and create a plan for yourself

When it comes to achieving balance in your life, it’s important to focus on the things that will bring you joy

Like The Cheeky Monkey?

Angel Number 900 brings a message from your angels that the Universal Source fully supports your life purpose and soul mission

Listen to your intuition as your angels are constantly by your side giving you messsages and guidance

Pay attention to what you are feeling and doing and listen to what your intuition is telling you in the present moment

If things are not right for you, change them in ways that are more aligned with your personal truths, views, opinions and principles

Listen to yourself and take action accordingly

Only you know what is right for you and only you can make it so

Angel Number 900 may be seen as a prompt to devote yourself to your personal spiritual path

Listen to what your heart tells you

Stay Cheeky my friends!