Test.

Test.

Bonsoir.

The only shots that made sense or were in focus from our New Year's Eve / my birthday celebrations..

C'est moi.

 Sultry, oui?

A Boston Sour. Not in Boston.

This will be my last post on this blog. If you would like to know where I've moved to; please leave me a comment and I'll get in touch.

Thank you for reading. Have a great 20-one-three and beyond.

 x

Awaken

Goodbye old England; all covered in rain. See you in twenty thirteen.

(P.S. Get involved.)

Growth

Our last supper. (If Jesus were around now, I'm sure he'd approve.)

I was thinking of doing a retrospective of this year; as I did last year. If I have time before I head away for NYE; I'll do it. After sitting here for ten seconds, thinking back; it's been an roller-coaster. This sums it up nicely.

 

All of the thoughts we waste
Under the weight of the world
All of the time we spend
with the weight of the world

Don't miss you ways
Don't miss your leaving
Love live my pain
Long live my feelings

Blind and childish
I won't fight it
Here I hide
Underneath my innocence

Grow, Grow
 

All of the lies we bent
Under the weight of the world
Caught beaten by the edge
Of the weight of the world

Long live this pain
Long live this feeling
Don't need to change
Need to believe in

Blind and childish
I won't fight it
Here I hide
Underneath my innocence
Grow, Grow
Here I hide...

Blind and childish
I won't fight it
Here I hide
Underneath my innocence
Grow, Grow

in·sight

/ˈinˌsīt/

Noun

1. The capacity to gain an accurate and deep intuitive understanding of a person or thing.
2. An understanding of this kind: "new insights into the behavior of whales".

A Gamble

From the moon
Mani sees us all
with both eyes
he expects to see everything
so nothing is unexpected
But, what can he predict?
Time, tide and
the uncertainty of mankind.

We roll dice
play with numbers
trick our confidence
toss coins
hedge our bets
and fix our odds

Embrace that whether we
understand it or not
that whatever the gamble
whatever prize
however much risk
the universe will be
perfectly ordered

Blessed be those who
let the whirling wheel turn
to embrace
and occupy a space in time
delicately treading between
air, water, fire and earth
with promises
suspended
hang in the air
waiting to be plucked from
the harvest of life

Wonderful gifts may not
be wrapped as you expect
so cast away idle hopes
empty shadows
walk forth into the
sea with arms open wide
and bathe in the light
of the Oak Moon

Have a Merry Yule.

Blessed be.

Reading to Reading

Having starting to once again get the train to and from work in the past week; I have had the pleasurable experience of having the time to get through a few short stories. The first is a book given to me by a friend; E.M. Forster's The Machine Stops which contains The Machine Stops story but also The Celestial Omnibus.
The Machine Stops is a chilling tale written in 1909 foreseeing the move towards a society devoid and fearful of human interaction, where the "Machine" is omnipresent and there is a total disconnection from nature. It's interesting to see how much closer our society has come to this bleak way of life than was being experienced just over 100 years ago. Thankfully we're not quite there yet. We're much closer to Huxley's Brave New World's apathetic masses than the automated and joyous existence of Forster's vision. Don't forget to take your soma.
The Celestial Omnibus is the antithesis of The Machine Stops. A charming tale of a young boy's willingness to not accept what is expected of him and seek adventure despite the consequences. It's fantastical description of unexplored lands delivered in such a short stroke is a masterful act.

Although I've still got about thirty pages to go; All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman has hit me squarely between the eyes. A wonderfully witty and insightful way of describing the intricacies of human nature, individualism, the differences between us and what draws us together. Buy it. Read it. Pass it on.

After starting this book five or six months ago on a beautiful train trip to Sweden, I have finally finished The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared. Allan's nonchalant attitude towards life and everything that it throws at him is admirable. The way in which his life's story is told in parallel with his window climbing escapades keeps you flicking the pages and you can't help but chuckle at the sheer (entirely believable) ridiculousness of it all. Read it with an open mind and you'll love it.

Whilst on our travels, I read Paul Theroux's The Great Train Bazaar. Somehow he has helped me understand my Dad's slight-obsession with trains and all things train related, without actually stepping on a train whilst I was reading it.  Theroux describes how train travel is like no other way of getting from one place to another. A car demands input, attention and concentration. An aeroplane is sterile, faceless and impersonal. Whilst on a train you can interact with your environment and fellow passengers or simply sleep. Train travel gives you choices and I can see how whilst traveling through a variety of countries, this can have a certain magic and majesty. Despite being a grumpy traveler, the frequent hints of adventure throughout his four month voyage make for entertaining reading. I'll be picking up something of his again, hopefully on another adventure.

Aside of my recent literary choices; life's good. I am hugely missing Koh Tao and being under the sea. I've worked out that it's a mere £3,000 and three months of my life spent in a tropical paradise to get from my current Advanced level to that of an Instructor... Where's my piggy bank? Fortunately my flat has now gone on the market and there has been a lot of interested despite me not being available to show anyone around. I've got my eye on a nice little place in Caversham which I hope I will be able to Let out if I decide to bugger off for a few months, or years..

Listened to this about ten times this week.. "You are creating all the bubbles at play.."

Hugely looking forward to next Friday's Yule celebration at the Ankerwycke Yew. I'm in the process of writing something to read during the event. I've got sense of nervous anticipation about the whole situation, but I know I'm going to be surrounded by kind hearted people. And I'll probably will have had a skinful of mead by the time I come to read; Dutch courage.

your face it dances.

This came on earlier and stopped me in my tracks.

 

Highlights; some in low light.

HTMS Sattakut, Koh Tao. 

 
Sairee Beach, Koh Tao.

Tongtakian Beach, Koh Samui

Koh Samui

(Photos © Harry McKeown 2012)

Banzai

whip-crack metal on metal
resonate cold pressed
equalised ear drums
pinched noses
jaws clenched
heads tilted towards the surface
swirling bubbles buoy our bodies
offsetting contracted lungs
as we hover delicately

new language signals make for
slow comprehension
no lost translation
forefinger meeting thumb
making a peaceful circle
rocky hands of concern
slashed throat setting off
learnt skills demanded
redressing the calm
whilst striking through the head
declaring the holy grail
the king of the sea

descent darker into an
ink blot scape
slivers of silver flash
thousands of tiny souls
moving as one broad connection
creation carpets mountainous
installations as life beyond recognition
plays out in Earth's inner space

wide eyes periscoped
busting craned necks scanning
that thin line of trust between
your buddy's next breath
and inherent inquisition
at odds
then at one
with the water

currents waving goodbye to
blue bottomed boats
grabbing hold of taught lines
breaching the plateaued surface
gracefully grabbing shifting steps
wishing waiting wanting
for the next plunge