TOGETHER

“You are my best friend as well as my lover, and I do not know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I have treasured our life together.” - Nicholas Sparks

The New What’s Going On Blog has set a theme of “Friendship” this week, one that I covered last week in my poem. I don’t think I am too much off-topic if I present a poem on a special kind of relationship: The one that begins between two people who have a lot in common and where the special closeness and bond of friendship develops. As the relationship progresses, love enters the equation and the two become a couple. This to me is more preferable than the “love at first sight” situation, a relationship that is often like an exploding firework that fizzles out.

Together

I saw you, you saw me, we clicked:
We chatted, we laughed, time ticked.
Love at first sight? 
No, just good fun.
The night was so bright,
Something had begun.

I called you, you called me,
You spoke, you enthralled me.
We went out and dined,
Was all so civilised.
Your mind a great find,
Your company prized.

And then love stepped in slowly,
It overwhelmed us wholly;
You kissed me, I kissed you,
How could I resist you?
We watched the stars rise,
In each other’s eyes.

You stayed over, I stayed over
With breakfast moreover;
Became an odd couple
To never decouple.
With days so exciting,
And nights like lightning.

I moved in, and we both thrived,
Our house a calm, serene haven
Our lives renewed and revived,
You are at love a great maven.
We are together, to part never
You and I, a couple forever.

This poem is set to music, and you can find all references to my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel, or listen to it on YouTube,  Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

TRAVEL TUESDAY 509 - KYRGYZSTAN

“A wise man isn't the one who has lived the longest, but the one who has travelled the most.” - Kyrgyz Proverb

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek (photo above) is the capital and largest city. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and China to the east and southeast. Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country's over 7 million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians.

Kyrgyzstan's history spans a variety of cultures and empires. Although geographically isolated by its highly mountainous terrain, Kyrgyzstan has been at the crossroads of several great civilisations as part of the Silk Road along with other commercial routes. Inhabited by a succession of tribes and clans, Kyrgyzstan has periodically fallen under larger domination, for example the Turkic nomads, who trace their ancestry to many Turkic states. It was first established as the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate. Later, in the 13th century, Kyrgyzstan was conquered by the Mongol Empire and under several Mongol dynasties; it regained independence, but was later invaded by the Dzungar Khanate. After the fall of Dzhungars, Kyrgyz and Kipchaks were an integral part of Kokand Khanate.

In 1876, Kyrgyzstan became part of the Russian Empire, and in 1936, the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was formed to become a constituent republic of the Soviet Union. Following Mikhail Gorbachev's democratic reforms in the USSR, in 1990 pro-independence candidate Askar Akayev was elected president. On 31 August 1991, Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the USSR and a democratic government was established. Kyrgyzstan attained sovereignty as a nation state after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. 

After independence, Kyrgyzstan was officially a unitary presidential republic. Following the Tulip Revolution it became a unitary parliamentary republic; however, it gradually developed an executive president and was governed as a semi-presidential republic before reverting to a presidential system in 2021. Throughout its existence, the country has continued to endure ethnic conflicts, revolts, economic troubles, transitional governments and political conflict.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

APRIL SHOWERS

“Anyone who has surgery scars knows there's probably still some tenderness there.” - Breanna Stewart

The prompt from “Poets and Storytellers United” this week is to write something relating to “Telling Scars”. Scars are physical, emotional or spiritual. They are traces of what has blemished our body or psyche, leaving marks of healing. Healed scars may indicate healed past wounds and pain, but often that scar may be prodded into renewed pain if we press on it…

April Showers

April speaks with words of rain

Uttering watery farewells,
Crying through peals of laughter
As he leaves me all alone…

April says goodbye

His hollow words carefully chosen,
His false tears duplicitous
As his rainy days run out.

April showers, in shady bowers
Bringing forth May flowers - of pain…
April, friend, you have betrayed me,
And a shadow you have made me.
April showers, fall for hours
Bringing forth May flowers - of bane…

April leaves me once again,
Wounding, healing, promising much,
Giving little, taking all;
Dreams run, dissolving in his rain.

April is over, tonight his last night
April finishes and my love for you
A tired traveller, wearily stumbling
Exhausted, stopping finally by the wayside.

April showers, in shady bowers
Bringing forth May flowers - of pain…
April, friend, you have betrayed me,
And a shadow you have made me.
April showers, fall for hours
Bringing forth May flowers - of bane…

April ends my hopes
He kills my every fantasy,
Destroys my world, dissolves sweet images
Of happinesses he promised me would come.

April speaks with words of rain
Uttering watery farewells
Crying through peals of laughter
As he leaves me.

April showers, in shady bowers
Bringing forth May flowers - of pain…
April, friend, you have betrayed me,
And a ghost you’ve made me…

This poem is set to music, and you can find all references to my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel, or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

FRIENDS

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” - Helen Keller

The What’s Going On blog informs us that July 30 is International Friendship Day, as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2011, so as to promote friendship between people, countries, cultures and individuals with the aim to build bridges between communities enhancing peace efforts. Friendship is one of the glories of humankind and is an indisputable part of the meaning of “being human”. Here is my poem and as usual, the song from it is linked below it.

Friends

We are best friends,
Our bond never ends
We are friends…

When things aren’t right, when dark the night,
You feel so down, when wearing a frown —
Call on me, friend, what’s broke we’ll mend.

We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, together we’ll sigh,
We’ll eat ice cream, while sharing a dream,
Talk until dawn, without a yawn…

Friends, you and I, we see eye to eye;
Never pretending,  our love unending —
Giving and living, each other forgiving.

When everything’s good, with you I would
Share all the best, you are my guest;
Fun times together, bitter words never.

Loving each other, like sister or brother
We are the team that makes our dream
Really come true, just me and you!

Friends, you and I, we see eye to eye;
Never pretending,  our love unending —
Giving and living, each other forgiving.

Friends are forever, so we will part never,
Our bond is too strong, will last our life long,
Friends you and I, we have a deep tie…
Friends we will be, always together,
Through the rough weather,
Giving each other a hug and a helping hand…

This poem is set to music, and you can find all references to my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel, or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

TRAVEL TUESDAY 508 - ELISTA, KALMYKIA

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” - The Buddha

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.
There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.
Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Kalmykia, officially the Republic of Kalmykia, is a republic of Russia, located in the Volga region of European Russia. The republic is part of the Southern Federal District, and borders Dagestan to the south and Stavropol Krai to the southwest; Volgograd Oblast to the northwest and north and Astrakhan Oblast to the north and east; Rostov Oblast to the west and the Caspian Sea to the east. Through the Caspian Depression, the Kuma river forms Kalmykia's natural border with Dagestan.

Kalmykia is the only polity within Europe where the Dharmic religion of Buddhism is the predominant religion; the majority of Kalmyk people are Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhists of the Gelug and Kagyu lineages. The Kalmykia republic covers an area of 76,100 square kilometres, with a small population of about 275,000 residents. The republic of Kalmykia is home of the Kalmyks, a people of Oirat Mongolian origin who are mainly of Tibetan Buddhist faith. The capital of the republic is the city of Elista.

Kalmykia's natural resources include coal, oil, and natural gas. The region has a developed agricultural sector. Other developed industries include the food processing and oil and gas industries. As most of Kalmykia is arid, irrigation is necessary for agriculture, through the Cherney Zemli Irrigation Scheme.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

DRINKING MOONSHINE

“The phoenix must burn to emerge renewed.” — Janet Fitch

The prompt from “Poets and Storytellers United” this week is to write something relating to “Celebration”.

One of the things we associate with celebrations in the Western tradition is to have a drink… People drink alcohol for a variety of reasons, including celebratory, social, personal, and even self-medication purposes.
Some common motivations include stress relief, social lubrication, enjoyment, and coping with mental health challenges.
Alcohol consumption can also be influenced by environmental factors, family history, and cultural norms.
For people who are not drinkers, a substitute may need to be used. Drinking the light of the shining moon perhaps?

Drinking Moonshine

Tonight the moon fell into my cup
Was drowned; and dissolved all up.
The stars fell down as golden rain
To assuage my loneness and the pain.

Tonight, I’ll drink the fallen moon
And sup on stars with silver spoon,
To make the blackest night less dark,
Less silent, as I try to clear your mark.

Tonight the clock seems stopped

As minutes drag, the hours dropped.

I drink the moonshine, swallow stars

In hope the potent mix will heal my scars.

Tonight, your absence all the more acute
My thoughts run after you in vain pursuit.
The drink burns more than any spirit neat,
In deep swallows it’s drunk, my pain to cheat.

Tonight is black; of moon, of stars bereft
As dregs of moonshine are in my cup left;
My sweet star-meal has a bitter aftertaste
My empty night has my soul embraced

Tonight I’ll stay awake, despite my drink
My mind too full of you to think;
My heart too empty, and my bed too cold,
Tonight I feel deserted, frozen, old…

This poem is set to music, and you can find all references to my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel, or listen to it on YouTube,  Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

CELIA

“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” -  Frederick Douglass

The New What’s Going On blog has prompted about “In Uncertain Times”.  In our days, perhaps more than ever before, we are seeing a wave of inhumanity sweeping the world. It seems that most of the powerful countries have been swept by a rush of dystopic authoritarianism in which an all-powerful leader seizes the reins of government, supported by a small minority plutocracy.

The common people are becoming progressively poorer, powerless and unable to react in a meaningful and life-changing way. Demagogy and easily digested, rose-tinted lies convince the dwindling middle class “all is under control and our countries will become powerful, and the best in the world”. This assures the autocrat in power that he stays in power and has the population under control…

Even someone who is relatively well off, or frankly rich, and has a conscience can become lulled into a sense of false security and ignore the cries of help of those who have nothing. Maybe these well-meaning people are pacified by donations that they give to ostensibly genuine charity organisations, a lot of which are bogus and support a bevy of well-paid staff and corrupt CEOs.

Add to all of this, increasing violence, crime, drug use, abusive relationships, teenage delinquency and criminality, loosening morals and increasing selfishness with decreasing community-mindedness and we have a world that is tottering on the brink of total disaster… Meanwhile, Celia plays her ‘cello…

Celia

Celia plays the ‘cello
And the strains of Bach
Caress the celadon on the mantel,
Exquisitely.

Celia looks out on Central Park,
Knowing that in the cellar
Vintage wine is being cooled,
Appropriately.

Oh, Celia, open your eyes,
And your frozen heart thaw!
Your world is built with lies,
All is not comme-il-faut!

Celia plans her dinner party –
Crystal and silver, eggshell china;
Chantilly lace and damask all laid out – 
Beautifully…

Celia content, closes her eyes
And manages to spare a thought
For those who need her charity,
Condescendingly.

Oh, Celia, come on down
See how poor people live;
All’s not too well in town,
Your excess they won’t forgive

The poem is once again set to music, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” Instagram feed or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

TRAVEL TUESDAY 507 - GROZNY, CHECHNYA

“Ever since studying in Russia as a college student, I had been in a long-distance, one-sided love affair with Chechnya's remarkable history, culture and rugged natural beauty.” - Anthony Marra

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federal District, and shares land borders with Georgia to its south; with the Russian republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia, and North Ossetia–Alania to its east, north, and west; and with Stavropol Krai to its northwest. 

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Checheno-Ingush ASSR split into two parts: the Republic of Ingushetia and the Chechen Republic. The latter proclaimed the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which declared independence, while the former sided with Russia. Following the First Chechen War of 1994–1996 with Russia, Chechnya gained de facto independence as the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, although de jure it remained a part of Russia. Russian federal control was restored in the Second Chechen War of 1999–2009, with Chechen politics being dominated by the former Ichkerian mufti Akhmad Kadyrov, and later his son Ramzan Kadyrov.

The republic covers an area of 17,500 square kilometres, with a population of over 1.5 million residents as of 2021. It is home to the indigenous Chechens, part of the Nakh peoples and who adhere primarily to the Islamic faith. Grozny is the capital and largest city.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

I AM STRONG!

“Revenge is surviving, getting out, and being a better person than you were, and breaking the cycle.” — Kristy Green

The prompt from “Poets and Storytellers United” this week is to write something inspired by the phrase “Survive Out of Spite”.  An internet friend made me aware of the MEND project, which supports abusive relationship victims and helps them survive and heal by leaving the abuser and beginning anew, healing themselves in the process. My poem is inspired by this.

I am Strong!

You used me, you hurt me,
You tried to subvert me.
You thought my meekness
Was my great weakness…

I loved you and you fooled me
Your promises, all false and hollow;
I was so tender and you ruled me
You ordered and I had to follow…

Enough, I say! Enough’s enough!
I don’t deserve to have it rough.
Your selfish ways are over,
I’m no longer a pushover…
I am strong! So strong!
You’re in the wrong,
Between us it’s all over.

You cheated, you deceived me,
You lied, and belittled me.
You laughed and crippled me,
If only you believed me…

I gave you all I had, and more,
You took it all and wasted it.
My sweetness was not tasted,
Your heartless ways no more…

Enough, I say! Enough’s enough!
I don’t deserve to have it rough.
Your selfish ways are over,
I’m no longer a pushover…
I am strong! So strong!
You’re in the wrong,
Between us it’s all over.

The poem is set to music again, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube,  Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

PS: Some of you have said that the song does not appear at the link sites. Type: "Otidorchestre" and do a search. Sometimes there is a slight delay from my posting it to its publication at the music sharing sites. Generally YouTube is the most efficient.

KIDS

“I think it's important for us as a society to remember that the youth within juvenile justice systems are, most of the time, youths who simply haven't had the right mentors and supporters around them - because of circumstances beyond their control.” - Q'orianka Kilcher

The New What’s Going On blog is prompting about “Being Human”. My take on this theme has already been written about in an old post of mine on this blog and you may read it if you are interested here. This present post is looking at the alarming surge of childhood violence that is sweeping the world at the moment. It is a terrible thing to see young children and teenagers being robbed of there normal carefree, growing up phase and being plunged into a violent adult world of crime, drugs, bullying, sex offences and even death.

My poem here references two biblical passages: “O Absalom, my son, my son!” is a quote from 2 Samuel 18:33, which is King David's anguished lament upon hearing of his son Absalom's death. The second is the passage from Judges 11:35 “Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low…”, describing Jephthah's distress upon seeing his daughter. She was the first to come out of his house after his victory. Jephthah tore his clothes and expressed despair, realising his vow to sacrifice the first living thing from his house meant his only daughter… 

Kids

Kids should play, and learn and grow —
Kids should be fed, and loved; and know
The future can be theirs to own,
If they stay kids until they’ve grown.

No guns, no force, no knives for kids
Nothing grown-up their age forbids;
Kids should be schooled and educated
Kids should be nurtured and not hated.

“O my son Absalom, my son,
My son Absalom!
Would I had died instead of you,
O Absalom, my son, my son!”

No stolen cars, no gangs, no chases
No dope, no midnight motor races!
Kids should be kids, and read and think
No drugs, no cigarettes, no drink…

Kids are to play with dolls, with toys
Kids beat their drums with joyful noise;
Not kill and maim and mindlessly attack
Not rape, not abuse, not fiercely wrack.

“Alas, my daughter!
You have brought me very low!
I have opened my mouth to the Lord,
and I cannot take back my vow…”

What world have we all made for kids?
The families, the schools that hit the skids?
Everyone’s guilty of childhood’s end!
Is it too late now our world to mend?

The poem is once again set to music, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

TRAVEL TUESDAY 506 - UFA, BASHKORTOSTAN

“It never troubles the wolf how many the sheep may be.” - Virgil

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.

There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.

Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Bashkortostan, officially the Republic of Bashkortostan, sometimes also called Bashkiria, is a republic of Russia between the Volga river and the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. The republic borders Perm Krai to the north, Sverdlovsk Oblast to the northeast, Chelyabinsk Oblast to the east, Orenburg Oblast to the south, Tatarstan to the west and Udmurtia to the northwest. It covers 143,600 square kilometres. It is the seventh-most populous federal subject in Russia and the most populous republic.

Its capital and largest city is Ufa. As of 2025, it has a population of 4,046,094. Bashkortostan was established on 28 November [O.S. 15 November] 1917. On 20 March 1919, it was transformed into the Bashkir ASSR, the first autonomous republic in the Russian SFSR. On 11 October 1990, it adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty. In the Constitution of Bashkortostan and Constitution of Russia, Bashkortostan is defined as a state.

The name "Bashkortostan" derives from the name of the Bashkir ethnic group. While the endonym having various theories on its meaning, the most prominent is being a combination of Turkic words baş, meaning 'head', 'chief', 'main', 'principal' and qurt meaning 'wolf' (one of the animals regarded as sacred to Turkic peoples); the suffix -stan is Persian, commonly used for many Eurasian territorial names. Bashkirs speak the Bashkir language, which belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic language group.

The famous statue of the rider in Ufa is the Monument to Salavat Yulaev.  Salavat Yulayev ia a Bashkir national hero, who fought for the independence of his homeland. The monument is a bronze sculpture on a reinforced concrete pedestal, lined with granite, and is located on the bank of the Belaya River.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

REQUIEM

“A requiem is meant to bring comfort.” - Mack Wilberg

The New What’s Going On blog is prompting about “Rest”. I’m sorry but my rest is rather restless, or rather, a rest that comes after great turmoil. A Requiem (Latin: rest) or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead (Latin: Missa pro defunctis) or Mass of the dead (Latin: Missa defunctorum), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. This was the inspiration of my “Rest” poem.

Requiem

Requiem,
Requiem Aeternam…
Burying all traces of desire
Deep inside my withered body
I  cling to words;
And words my only comfort.
Interring deep in dark, dank soil
My heart’s small broken pieces
Images of my fantasies save me
From the grasping claws of madness.

Requiem Aeternam!

As earth envelops slowly all my hopes,
Requiem 
As the sun vanishes once again,
Requiem 
As the darkness claims me for her own.

Enshrouding dead dreams

In palls woven of crescent moonbeams
I clutch only a cold memory
Of an embrace long ago.
Inhuming my follies,
Your smile, your eyes, your body,
And only reason, mute written words,
And only silent words to save me.

Requiem Aeternam,
As dark night falls
Enclosing softly all my longings,
Requiem
As the illusion dies once again,
Requiem 
As the tears flow,
Only to freeze 
On my death-cold flesh.

Requiem Aeternam,

Requiem…
Eternal rest I crave!
My flesh to save,
As I dig my grave…
Requiem,
Requiem,
Requiem Aeternam...

Here’s the poem set to music, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

Please be aware that there may be a slight delay with the uploading of music on some of the above music sites. YouTube is usually the most rapid to upload.

ONCE MORE...

“The head learns new things, but the heart forever practices old experiences.” - Henry Ward Beecher

The prompt from “Poets and Storytellers United” this week is to write something inspired by the quote: “Don’t be afraid to start over. This time you’re not starting from scratch, you’re starting from experience.” Here is my poem:

Once More…

Once more alone,
A silent phone.
All on my own…

After you left, there was an empty space,
With ghostly images wearing your face;
My heart a burnt out field, a vacant lot
Survival in a polar waste my only thought.

I closed myself up, built a protective wall
Excluded joys, songs, happinesses all.
Now by myself, how time drags and stops
And life expires, turns into a rotting corpse.

I’m all alone, beside a silent phone,
Nobody rings, nobody talks nor sings.
My house a tomb, each room in gloom,
My heart of ice, paying the price.

And then she came, and a sun ray shone,
Her voice so sweet with measured tone.
Whispered my name and made me hope
That maybe I could go on, live and cope…

Once more, my heart began to quickly beat
Once more, each morning I could dare to greet;
How such a fleeting glance renews desires,
How such a single word can light such fires?

I’m happy dating, by the phone waiting,
I know she’ll call, I’ll risk another fall;
For love again, a poisoned cup I’ll drain,
And roll the dice, and pay whatever price…

Walking a tightrope,
Once more I hope
That I will cope…

Here’s the poem set to music, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

TRAVEL TUESDAY 505 - HAWAII, USA

“For me, the magic of Hawaii comes from the stillness, the sea, the stars.” - Joanne Harris

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.
There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.
Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Hawaii is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about 3,200 km southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only state not on the North American mainland, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state in the tropics. Hawaii consists of 137 volcanic islands that comprise almost the entire Hawaiian archipelago (the exception, which is outside the state, is Midway Atoll).

Spanning 2,400 km, the state is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. Hawaii's ocean coastline is consequently the fourth-longest in the U.S., at about 1,210 km. The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi, after which the state is named; the last is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaii Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands make up most of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the largest protected area in the U.S. and the fourth-largest in the world.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

DEATH IN AUTUMN

“My sorrow, when she's here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be; she loves the bare, the withered tree; she walks the sodden pasture lane.” - Robert Frost

The prompt from “Poets and Storytellers United” this week is t write a poem in a formal, traditional form. I have chosen the villanelle. (A villanelle is a 19-line poetic form with a specific structure of five tercets (three-line stanzas) and a concluding quatrain (four-line stanza). It features a strict rhyme scheme (ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABA, ABAA) and two repeating lines, called refrains, that alternate as the last lines of the tercets and appear together as the last two lines of the quatrain.) It can be quite tricky to write...

Autumn Evening

As evening falls so softly, cold
Memory’s scent I follow,
And life grows dark and old.

Leaves die, as they turn to gold
The sound of voices hollow.
As evening falls so softly, cold

I try to break its stranglehold;
My spirits fall and ebb, so low – 
And life grows dark and old.

I try to be so resolute and bold
To make my song again to flow
As evening falls so softly, cold…

The wood attacked, consumed by mould
Decay eats into it so slow,
And life grows dark and old.

My dreams to highest bidder sold
Love’s ghosts in sadness wallow:
As evening falls so softly, cold
And life grows dark and old.

Here’s the poem set to music, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

THE SCENT BOTTLE

"Fragrances are powerful magicians that can transport you through the years you have lived" Helen Keller

The What’s Going On blog is exploring the theme of “Fragrance” in poems today. So I highlight the sensory experience of fragrance in the lines of my poem. 

The Scent Bottle

Your perfume lost…

A mislaid, forgotten bottle of your scent
I found today and opened to inhale;
A flood of memory spun a rich tale,
With costly perfumes from Tashkent
Souvenirs of whispers hidden by a veil.

Your pale demeanour, golden hair
Enveloped in a cloud of fragrance,
Enhancing so your silky elegance;
Reminded now by the scent so rare,
Again our parting making me despair.

The citrus, civet and the earthy musk
Are mixed with the delights of rose
That delicately caress the nose.
The summery afternoon, the violet dusk
What marvels for a scent bottle to enclose!

My wandering fingers on your skin
I recollect, absorbing with each touch
An aromatic kiss – in love so much!
Heady ambergris like sounds of violin,
Fading recall, as snowflake, I try to clutch.

A bottle of scent, and your memory I seek,
In billows of vetiver, nard and myrrh.
My loss, a perfume smelt, will now aver
Times past, of happiness gone to speak,
As echoes of long-lost love I stir.
Your perfume I recall…

Here’s the poem set to music, and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

TRAVEL TUESDAY 504 - SOCOTRA ISLAND, YEMEN

“There can be no dragon slayer in the absence of dragons.” - Thomas Chatterton Williams

Welcome to the Travel Tuesday meme! Join me every Tuesday and showcase your creativity in photography, painting and drawing, music, poetry, creative writing or a plain old natter about Travel.
There is only one simple rule: Link your own creative work about some aspect of travel and share it with the rest of us. Please use this meme for your creative endeavours only.
Do not use this meme to advertise your products or services as any links or comments by advertisers will be removed immediately.

Socotra, locally known as Saqatri, is a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean. Situated between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, it lies near major shipping routes. Socotra is the largest of the six islands in the Socotra archipelago as it comprises around 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies 380 kilometres south of the Arabian Peninsula and 232 km east of the Horn of Africa. The inhabitants of the island are called Socotrans, and they speak Arabic and Soqotri.

The island measures 132 km in length and 42 km across at its widest. In 2008, Socotra was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island is under the control of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a United Arab Emirates-backed, pro-Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), "secessionist" faction in Yemen's ongoing civil war. The STC seized control of the island following a coup in 2020, ousting the local authorities and establishing its own governance.

Socotra is home to a high number of unique species that are endemic to it. Up to a third of its plant life is unique. Due to the island's unusual geography, it has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth”. One example is the Dragon’s Blood Tree, or Draceana cinnabari, which may be the most well known example of Socotran endemism. The tree contains a bright red sap which is used commercially.

D. cinnabari has a very distinct appearance: Its trunk branches out into an umbrella-like crown with tightly packed leaves and widespread branches. This plant structure is observed in arid climates which have atmospheric moisture. Tightly packed leaves and wide spread branches facilitate the condensation of water from moisture in the air, and the shade provided by the umbrella crown may prevent evaporation of moisture from the soil. One dragon’s blood forest remains on the island. The average age of these trees is approximately 300 years. This suggests that the forest is over-mature, and indicates a decline in new growth.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

ON THE BANKS OF THE MURRAY

“At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.” - Plato 

This week, Poets and Storytellers United has as its theme “A Perfect Afternoon”. I am taking poetic licence here and saying that my perfect afternoon needs to extend into a perfect evening, and an even more perfect night. So humour me, please!

On the Banks of the Murray

Ohhhhh!
Such beauty,
All quiet,
On a still summer night…

On the banks of the Murray,
On a summer’s hot night.
There’s no need to hurry,
All the stars shine so bright.

On the banks of the river,
With you on my side,
And the moon solid silver,
All our secrets confide.

“I love you so”, I say
“I love you more”, you reply.
We look at the sky and we sigh,
And kind fate we obey.
Our lips no kiss will deny,
As our hearts upward fly.

On the banks of the Murray,
As the heavens rotate,
And the small hours scurry,
A gold morn’ we await.

On the banks of the river,
In a tender embrace,
We both warily shiver,
Lest the gods deny us grace.

“I love you so”, I say
“I love you more”, you reply.
We look at the sky and we sigh,
And kind fate we obey.

Ohhhh!
“I love you so”, I say
“I love you more”, you reply…

Here’s the poem set to music and you can find all my music in my “Otidorchestre” channel or listen to it on YouTube, Spotify,  Amazon, Deezer, Flo, Pandora, and other music sharing sites.

PS: Some of you have said that the song does not appear at the link site. Type: "Otidorchestre" and do a search. Sometimes there is a slight delay from my posting it to its publication at the music sharing sites. Generally YouTube is the most efficient.