A Rugged Coast [Free Verse]

Limestone lumps
Karst columns
Dot the waters,
Like ancient wreckage --
Wrack & ruin
Slung near & far
From coastal homelands;
A landscape torn asunder
And littered about,
But beloved for the beauty
Of its scraggy, weedy
Weathered rock.

BOOKS: “Wild Thing” by Mike Fairclough

Wild Thing: Embracing Childhood Traits in Adulthood for a Happier, More Carefree LifeWild Thing: Embracing Childhood Traits in Adulthood for a Happier, More Carefree Life by Mike Fairclough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher Site — Hay House

This short self-help guide aims to encourage adults to recapture some of the bliss-inducing traits of children. Over six chapters, it examines the virtues of play, rule-breaking behavior, imagination, resilience, gratitude, flow, daydreaming, discovery, exploration, and awe.

Each chapter, in true self-help fashion, ends with a bulleted set of practical tips and practices. The book has an Introduction and Afterward, but no other ancillary material.

I felt the book was at its strongest when the author was discussing his personal experiences. Otherwise, the book can dip into the “no-duh” plight common among self-help style books — where it seems to state the obvious without adding depth of insight.

I enjoyed reading this book. It’s a nice, short pep-talk — though it’s unlikely to leave readers with any burning revelations or new insights.

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DAILY PHOTO: Koh Phi Phi from Viewpoint 2

Scurry [Haiku]

shore birds scurry,
evading rolling surf,
like playful kids.

DAILY PHOTO: Ao Nang Sunset

“On this wondrous sea” (4) by Emily Dickinson [w/ Audio]

On this wondrous sea
Sailing silently,
Ho! Pilot, ho!
Knowest thou the shore
Where no breakers roar --
Where the storm is o'er?

In the peaceful west
Many the sails at rest --
The anchors fast --
Thither I pilot thee --
Land Ho! Eternity!
Ashore at last!

Ostrich [Lyric Poem]

"Oh, beware the trotting Ostrich!"
I'd never, ever have thought which
Would be a real concern for me,
As I sit in cafes and libraries.

DAILY PHOTO: Zebra of Amboseli

“A Minor Bird” by Robert Frost [w/ Audio]

I have wished a bird would fly away,
And not sing by my house all day;

Have clapped my hands at him from the door
When it seemed as if I could bear no more.

The fault must partly have been in me.
The bird was not to blame for his key.

And of course there must be something wrong
In wanting to silence any song.

Stand Strong [Haiku]

overflown banks:
trees stand strong
against the flow.