Tag Archive | Life

The struggle

Jan4

door

 

This is a life of struggle

Struggle of good against evil

Right against wrong

Spiritual versus the material

Light versus darkness

And we will never be free of this struggle

We will never fully arrive

We will never fully conquer our ego

We will falter and fall

We will questions things we hold dear

We will fight external and internal demons

Storms will continue to assail us

Yes, there will be periods of respite

But the next storm is just around the corner

This is not a life of comfort and ease

No matter how materially successful we are

Tests will batter us like powerful waves

Hail will pelt our heads

This is how we grow

This is how we prove ourselves

This is how we show our steadfastness

But struggle we will

And struggle we must

January 3rd, 2019

What I can promise you

Dec30

image

I don’t promise you a heartache free life

I do promise or hold your hand when adversity visits

I don’t promise you that you will always be happy

I do promise you that happiness returns

I don’t expect you not to make mistakes

I expect you to learn from your experiences

I don’t expect you to be perfect

I expect you to try your hardest and be kind above all else

Life is not a bed of roses

And even if it were, the thorns are plentiful

To partake of the beauty of the rose

You have to endure the pain of picking it

I have taught you to swim

But it’s you who has to and who can swim

The long distance to the shore of contentment

 

December 29th, 2018

Another year

Dec29

image

Another year comes to a close
A new year begins
Like any other year
There will be surprises in store
Storms will batter the coast line
The sun will warm up our hearts
Tears will flow
Laughter will ring out
Gratitude will bring us blessings
Friendship will nourish our souls
Lessons will be learned
Mistakes will be made
Poems will be written
Books will be read
Our journey on earth continues
And hopefully
We’ll pick up some wisdom along the way

December 28th, 2018

To hell and back

Dec12

 

2B464CA1-05B8-4513-8F4F-E8F4C1D68F4A.jpeg

It is said to be a poet

You have to go to hell and back

The hell of suffering

The hell of hopelessness

The hell of dreariness

The hell of darkness

Why is that?

Could going to hell and back

Awaken in us emotions which we can then express in poetry?

Could going to hell and back

Teach us the humility that is required

To receive the gift of poetry?

Could going to hell and back

Burn away our impurities?

Could going to hell and back

Make brighter the colours of the world?

Could going to hell and back

Help us mature?

Going to hell and back

Seems and is awful

But if the result is poetry

What a gift

What a gift

 

December 10th, 2018

Our roots

Sep30

 

Our roots ground us

They give us stability and

The chance to grow tall

They keep us firm 

In the storms of life

They nourish our souls

They make us strong

Leaves and branches 

Adorn the tree of our lives

But without roots

They would not stay alive

“Grounded in our roots we rise”*

 

September 30th, 2018

 

*Larry Smith in Fresh off the boat

My notebooks

Sep24

IMG_6463

Days go by

Seasons change

And I write in my notebooks

Children grow up

Life changes

And I keep writing in my notebooks

Dreams are dreamt

Some become reality

And I keep writing in my notebooks

We move from city to city

From one country to another

And I keep writing in my notebooks

My notebooks have created a beautiful pile

Colourful and different each one

Writing is the constant in my life

My notebooks are the repository of my thoughts

September 23rd, 2018

Connection

Apr19

dsc00531

Why is connection so important?

Why is friendship essential?

Why do we need good friends in our lives?

Because friendship is a reflection of love

And love is the essence of life

It’s what gives us life

It’s what sustains life

And it’s what makes life beautiful

The collage

Apr9

 

AEB00AA9-E442-4EFF-84A0-975C8AE1C311

A second book
Another essay on life
My life
With its challenges and trials
With lessons learned
With hope and optimism
Written with love

The collage of me
Is a collage of prose and poetry
The coming together of various experiences
And exploration of various cultures
Of Travel
Of connections
Of fellowship and camaraderie

It tries to answer the questions
Who am I?
And where do I belong?

It explores issues of identity and immigration
And the coming together of East and West
And the essential oneness of man

Shades of grey

Feb28

DSC00599

Wouldn’t if be easier if life
Were black and white
Something was either right or wrong
But life’s not like that
And things come in all shades of grey

And what is one to do
How is one to behave?
Does is depend on the shade of grey?
Or is grey moving into the territory of black
And we kid our selves?

The life’s questions are many
And the answers sometimes are illusive
Perhaps the passage of time
Will shed some light
On the dark recesses of life

 

February 27th, 2018

What we need

Feb18

image

I got a surprise phone call
It cheered my heart
I heard from a dear friend
It consoled my soul
Connection
What we seek and what we need
Comradery
What we want
Our needs are not so complicated
After all
We don’t need fancy things
Or amazing experiences to feel happy
We need to have people in our Iives
Who understand us and are there for us
What we need is to feel loved

February 18th, 2018