Above, header for the August 2014 PJ. Three Poems: Start of the Day, A Ride, and The Move Vignette this Month: The R Word   Wildflowers in bloom To follow me on Facebook, click on Poet Bob, and ask to befriend me. .   Three Poems Start of the Day The world is filled       with chaos, anger,       and disruptions. One searches for oases,       which allow sanity       to prevail. Some discover theirs       in the less desirable. Others look       for the simple, the less exotic. For me, a ride and breakfast       at the Café       offers the sustenance       to take on the day. Comment: In Ohio I used to write poems that included a mention of a favorite local restaurant, V & M. There is even a whole section on my web site dedicated to those poems. Since coming to Midway, Cafe Galleria has taken on a similar role. A Ride Surrounded by mountains,       beauty flows through the veins Relaxing, writing, sipping tea       at the Galleria How wonderful       it would be       for the world       to find such peace No young men and women       fighting and dying             Jihad             a mere word             from history No man striking       his wife No child       being beaten The war machine       rusted rubble The heroes       are those       fighting hunger and poverty Hungry bellies       full If only such peace       was created       in our daily rides       through life Comment: None needed. The Move A little girl’s eyes     beckon across the country. “Leave the land of your birth. Come watch me grow. The journey will be worth it.” Comment: A year has already passed since our move from Ohio to Utah. This poem was written months ago, but on our first anniversary as Utahns I decided to share. By the way, those eyes did not lie. Close-up Hill covered with wildflowers Friend and author Dave Riggs took me out on Deer Creek Reservoir on his kayak. Picture taken on the water. Flowers abloom high up on Guardsman Pass A local flower bed     Albion Meadows in Alta Ski Area, UT The Tour of Utah bike race went by our house and included 6 Tour de France riders Upper Lf: Race Procession Approaches; Upper Rt.: Lead Racers; Lower Lf. & Rt.: Main Pack More flowers from Albion Meadows Plenty of water at Bridal Falls Vignette: The R Word One of the great things about the R Word, retirement, is the opportunity to venture out and try new things. Now, I prefer not to use this word when speaking to strangers. Instead, when someone asks me if I am retired, I say, "I have moved on." A wise man I met and became friends with a number of years ago told me that he never used the R word since in the U.S. many believe you are no longer a contributor to society. In a sense, you become a leech. This friend went on to write his first book of several after the age eighty as well as contributing millions of dollar to charities. Prognosticators go on and write propaganda stating that you need to work more years because you will live longer and will be happier. They may be right in the sense that Americans spend more hours working and less time relaxing than any other people in the developed nations. A current Cadillac commercial takes this folly to a new level with the actor bragging about how he proudly had not taken a vacation because he loves to work. Europeans look aghast at our mentality. When I lived in New Zealand for a year and also visited Australia, the concept was you work to live and not live to work. Quite a contrast! However, upon my return I was quickly sucked into the workaholic humdrum. One year I even bragged that despite taking a couple vacations, I averaged 8.6 hours a day for 365 days. Madness! I almost bit the bullet a few years later because of that mentality. My last thoughts were not on how many hours I worked but instead on family. Today, my attitude is much different. I revel in the opportunities that are out there to volunteer, write and on occasion earn a few sheckles, bike, teach tai chi, learn to fly fish, take up archery, and enjoy family and a granddaughter to name a few and not necessarily in that order. While some find "moving on" a bore, for me and many others, we relish the new found freedom to choose and learn. For you who are not yet able to enjoy the R word, don't let the propaganda machine convince you that your job is your definer. Instead, remember that ultimately in the end those you love will be the ones you value most. If you have a guest vignette you would like to submit, please do so. Not only will I enjoy reading it, but if agreeable with you and space permitting, I will print it in a future issue. The vignette should be written in paragraph form and relate a personal story or event. Equally important, it should fit the overall tenor of this newsletter. Ideally, it should not exceed twenty lines. Please send to bob@poeticaljourneys.com.   Alta Ski Area in the summer   Colors galore Our journey in the meadows continue. On the road to Cascade Springs   The flower is the Indian Paint Brush ...............................................................................................Purple Larkspur                                                                                     Cascade Springs Deer Creek from higher up     Top    Back Westward Ho Click on the icon if you entered this site from another and wish to go to my home page.