Do not ask for why tears drip from the pines;
It is an icy expression of joy.
Between the broken storm clouds, the sun shines
An afternoon beam upon a girl and boy,
Melting the snow gathered upon the boughs.
A crowded street of umbrella applause,
From the winter, the sun did arouse,
Giving the crying tress their special cause.
We gathered together to bear witness
Of written whispered vows being exchanged.
The umbrellas and tree leaned in to bless
The monumental moment being staged.
Silence surveyed in anticipation
To hear, “I do” said in repetition.
Tag: sonnet
A German owned Thai restaurant in Prague
I’ve worked my life for this opening day,
So I can show off my abilities
In cooking. Now I will ask if you may
Come and enjoy my Thai delicacies.
It’s not the typical fare you’d find here
Among the old brick buildings and beer halls.
It’s a departure from the normal cheer;
I’m glad you’ve heard its tantalizing calls.
I have added a little German flare
For that is the place that I call my home.
The combination is not all that rare;
Instead, it creates a comforting poem.
You will always be my first customer
Of this lifelong wish of an endeavor.
The Wheelchair Holiday
Though the road may be a little bumpy
And the wheels on the cart don’t have much give,
I’ll try to make the ride not so jumpy.
The turning is also not responsive,
So we’re going to have to take it slow,
Giving us enjoyment of scenery
That we usually ignore as we go
Because we believe trips should be busy.
Though we won’t be able to see as much,
What we will see we will really take in.
It gives vacation a different touch
When the small moments are what we’re makin’.
Don’t fret about the trip in a wheelchair
For we got to see what was really there.
The Velvet Revolution
Now that we have gotten the crowds gathered,
We can start the fires within our hearts
For a proud people that has been battered.
This is the way a revolution starts,
Not with terror, guns or an explosion,
But with a single match and a gesture
That demonstrates to them our frustration
Over our culture held in indenture.
I do not believe it to be too rash
That what I will leave as inspiration
Will be my bones and a pile of ash,
And the knowledge that I freed a nation.
You can bring your armies, and your big tanks,
We won’t ever be a part of your ranks.
The Winter Scene
The roadside has been covered in a white,
Hiding the remnants of autumn days.
The morning sun shines with a blinding light
When off of the snow shrouded hills it plays.
The deer paw through the crust of the night’s storm
Searching for hints of daily nourishment.
Only the barn owl will witness the form
As it heads to its nest with evening spent.
He’s followed by procrastinating geese
Who waited too long for their migration.
The snow muffled cacophony of peace
Whispers comments on the situation.
These risers experience the serene
Of the truth heard on morning’s winter scene.
COVID Hangover
I’m locked behind the security door
With easy access to my belongings.
I do not see people much anymore,
But at least, I am protecting my things.
There are my board games, which are fun to share,
But do not allow me to play solo.
I have a set of eight-person dinner ware
Whenever I want to put on a show.
As of right now, I only use one plate
For a meal that was kept in the freezer.
I don’t know if I’ll ever use its mate
For there is not a reason to please her.
I will live my life under this one light
To avoid an outside world full of fright.
Oppenheimer
I want to prove to you it can be done,
So I have dedicated a lifetime
To unlock the mysteries of the Kingdom
Of Heaven that’s hidden to humankind.
I have categorized it as science
With the help of the Maths can be explored.
Do not talk to me about the balance
Needed in order to walk through that door.
On me, this great nation is dependent
To marvel at my finest creation,
And with it a world peace is at hand
By giving it the threat of mass destruction.
My name will be written in history
As the man who gave chains to set us free.
A Pastoral Mindset in Modern Times
Society moves at a faster pace
Than it did when we were only children.
I feel like I’ve fallen out of the race
At the starting point back in the Garden.
I stayed behind to cultivate the land
While the rest fought to press the new button.
The trees and the ground do not have a brand
Which means it is not worth to be gotten.
I know it may seem a little drastic
That I would rather stay here with my plow
Than fill up my house with shiny plastic,
And to live in the past rather than now.
I know that this world will pass me by,
But I will not chose junk until I die.
Waking Up On New Year’s Day
The end of the holidays are now here.
It’s time to take down the decorations,
And put away the cheer until next year.
We have one day without expectations;
We’ll use it to brush off our hangover,
And build the resolve for reality.
It will give us the expected closure
That, in this time of year, we’ve come to see.
We will embrace the darkness of Winter.
Hiding within our dimly lighted cave,
The hibernation will never splinter
‘Til the melt helps us escape our enclave.
We’ll return to the lights of the season
When the earth finishes its rotation.
Year in Review – The Best Post of 2023
It has been another year around the sun, and it is time to look back and reflect on those moments that made this year great. It has been nice to know that the recent lockdowns brought on by the pandemic are behind us, and the world has opened up again. This means that travel is back, and many people took advantage of this fact to get out there and see many places on their bucket lists. I was no different. I was in eight different countries last year, three of which I have never been in before. During that time, I was able to tell you all about my experiences in this blog, and what follows are the posts from last year that connect with you the most.
10. Reverend’s Ridge Campground – Golden Gate State Park, Colorado
Every year my siblings get together during the summer to go camping some place in the Colorado mountains. It has always been one of my favorite trips of the year because I get to visit with my family in one of my favorite places in the world, the Rocky Mountains. Usually, we get site at the state park close to Golden, Colorado, and spend our time hiking, cooking, and hanging around a campfire. It is a great place to visit if you find yourself in Colorado during the summer, and one I would recommend looking into.
9. The Old Quarter – Hanoi, Vietnam
It had been a few years since I had made it to Vietnam, and the last time I was out there, they were still putting in place the infrastructure to turn it into the tourist destination it has become today. Even before this, the Old Quarter in the heart of one of its greatest cities, Hanoi, held a fond memory in my mind. It is the place where all of the Vietnamese people converge to enjoy a night out. It has amazing food, jazz can be heard playing on the street corners, and there are tons of shops to find that perfect souvenir. I didn’t think it was possible, but it had become even busier than the first time I had gone out and visited, but still was worth the effort to make it back to.
8. The Isle of Skye – Scotland
There were many highlights from my trip to Scotland, but the one that stood out the most had to be the Isle of Skye. We arrived by ferry, and left by bridge, but spent the whole time exploring every nook and cranny that this island had to offer. Some of the best hikes in the country can be found here with views of mountains, rock formations, and the ocean that stretches out beyond. I was lucky enough to be out there during the off-season, but even then, we had to plan ahead to make sure we got reservations at restaurants, but still there were many times where it felt like we had the island to ourselves. It is one of those places that I know I will come back to visit again some day, and it holds some of the fondest memories from the year for me.
This was one of two poems I posted this year that made the list. It had been one of my favorite ones that I have written because it highlights one of the biggest reasons why I started this blog in the first place. I wanted to share those memories with people out there, and inspire them to go out and collect some of their own.
This was the first post I added this last year, and the second sonnet to appear on this list. It reflects on the time that I spent last holiday season in Oman, and like many poems I write at the end of the year and the start of a new one, it had me thinking about where my life had taken me. I know that nothing really changes on New Year’s Day, but it still is a nice time to take reflection of our lives, and think about where the next step in them will take. It is the reason you see so many posts like this one at the end of the year.
5. Arthur’s Seat – Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is easily one of my favorite large cities in the world. It is so atmospheric, and it reminds me of walking into a Charles Dickens’s story. One of the spots that I enjoyed the most stood at the edge of town. At this spot, a big hill, or small mountain, (depending on your perspective) beckons for you to hike to its top. Of course, I had to heed that call with a bunch of other people on one of the coldest days I experienced while out there. They call it Arthur’s Seat even though it has no connection to this legendary king. It is still worth the effort to see the view from the top.
4. Betrayal at House on the Hill – A Review
Like a lot of people, during the Covid years, I got back into board gaming. It was something that I enjoyed a lot during my youth, and now that there are a bunch of games being created with adults like me in mind, it was the perfect time to get back into the hobby. Since then, I have spent some time with the games I have been adding to my collection by writing reviews about them. This year, I wrote about a classic light role playing game, Betrayal at House on the Hill. This wasn’t going to make the list this year, but right around Christmas time, it got a surge of hits as people started to wonder if this was a good gift or not. I just hope my review was helpful to them in deciding whether or not it was.
Though many of my travel posts come from other countries that I live near, I still do some traveling in the country I live in. I discovered a hidden spot this past year that has easily become one of my favorite in Jordan. It is not as dramatic as Petra, or Wadi Rum. It is not as touristy as the Dead Sea, or Aqaba. It is not as historic as Jerash, or Amman. But it is the place that many of the people of Jordan go to in order to unwind. Hidden in the mountains near the Dead Sea is a hot spring call Ma’in that I have found is the perfect place to unwind.
2. A Quick Tuk Tuk Ride – Chennai, India
I travelled with my school’s track and field team to compete in a meet in Chennai, India this last year. It was a really busy trip, and I spent most of my time going back and forth between the school and the hotel with the team. I did have a short amount of time where I was able to get away to do some shopping for my wife for Valentine’s Day, and got to ride in a tuk tuk to get that shopping done. It was not the most unique experience of my life time, but it did make me reminiscent of my time spent living in Thailand.
1. Denver International Airport – It is still weird
It always surprises me what becomes the most popular post of the year. I usually think it would have to do with the ones I spend a lot of time on, and have deep philosophical things that I contemplate on. And then there are ones like this one where I got stuck waiting in Denver International Airport while waiting for the late arrival of my wife’s plane. I used to work at this airport, and it is currently undergoing a renovation, but it still has retained its weird nature. This post talked about how proud I am of my hometown as it retains its strangeness in this iconic airport.
John Collings 