Poetry

Podcast

Lyric Essays

: I’ve never been good at feelings, but I’m coming to understand that feelings are the …

: i must remember to relax my death grip on logic and instead embrace the more powerful tool of …

: The Power of Perception: How Our Words Shape Reality The words we use to describe our lives have an uncanny way of shaping our reality. The stories we …

: speak and live your truth.

: brilliance within You contain a singular brilliance within. Only by mining your depths and realising your wholeness …

: solitude returns priceless gifts of insight.

: Our minds are beautifully adapted to create coherent narratives and meanings rather than objectively …

: Our senses intake, our minds create. And so ultimately, we experience reality not as it is, but …

: stop and think about what you are capable of achieving.

: fear and desire make everything seem so complicated.

: Nietzsche: “This painting - that which we humans call life and experience - has gradually …

: The choices we make shape how we experience life. It’s fascinating to me that I am the sum …

: happiness is the truth. - pw

: I've come to the conclusion that the most profound spiritual journey is simply the art of living. …

: Faith and fear are the contrasting forces that shape our journeys. They are the yin and yang of our …

: Your mind is your best friend. But it can also be your worst enemy.

: Woody Allen: “Some people want to achieve immortality through their works or their …

: perhaps a strange thing to be contemplating over a coffee on a saturday morning, but i’m sat …

: John Steinbeck: “What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it …

: the mind paints its own realities based on sensory experience. the line becomes thin between truth …

: Memory is only a story of a story of a story. We only store a highly modified and distorted version …

: I have my recruitment d20 out. Let’s see what serendipity it brings me today.

: heaven is down for repairs. sorry for the inconvenience. we’re installing some stella …

: the universe is whispering. will you whisper back?

: clearing the cobwebs out of my skull.

: what if it’s our destiny to be weird?

: life is curly. don’t try to straighten it out.

: reality is too close.

: THE MATRIX IS BROKEN; CATS ARE A DIRECT INDICATOR OF LAWLESSNESS

: echo chambers are warm and cosy nothing can penetrate those cherished walls of certainty, not even …

: I love social media, but sometimes I swear it's like walking through an existential minefield. All …

: when we learn, we no longer fear. I’ll take this into the new year with me.

: who wants to be real when reality is no longer realistic?

: a reimagined version of the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas” Clement Clarke Moore wrote the …

: more often than not for me  Sometimes I confuse myself with my shadow and sometimes don’t.   Samuel …

: toilet paper pretzels unicorn rocking horse standing next to the christmas tree

: i haven't thought about Sgt Rock and Doc Savage for years. i need to go rummage through the attic …

: in a universe where God’s gone on vacation, it’s up to us to feed the fish and …

: lunch break reading

: (your)self =

: "Time may be one of humanity’s biggest illusions, but it’s one we are enslaved to, making the …

: according to my swarm app, in 2023, i spent most of my time in the gym, rail stations, coffee shops, …

: Talia watched the faceless crowds hurry along the sidewalks, she remembered her grandfather's words: …

: sexual textual metrosexual intellectual who am I?

: Me: What if nothing is real? What if we’re just dreams dreamt by a cosmic hamster running endlessly …

: this is exactly where my mind is at the moment

: “A self is a fiction, the biggest fiction of them all.” - David Shields

: first part of the rebellion: figure out what i’m rebelling against.

: i want to be out there but also here; i want to butter my toast and eat it too.

: if you suddenly discovered the truth, would it shatter your world or would it be the key to a new …

: classic blues artists like Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, and T-Bone Walker make great …

: “I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.” - Rita …

: the only sustainable path Since she was young, Mira had felt a longing to stand out from the crowd. As a teenager, she …

: am i getting out of control sinking into semiotic, structuralist, neo-Marxist analysis? That’s …

: I’m working on my interactive fiction game, Shadows of Ebonvale.

: Our latest foster cat is ready for a new home.

: by the water cooler (the rat's oasis) they numb the migraine of the market's churn, whispering of …

: when you suddenly realise you have to stop looking for the cavalry and realise you gotta be your own …

: i am down with the flux.

: in the curling smoke, the flicker of neon, the beat poets find the sacred in the profane alleys, the …

: Seeking the fundamental truths of reality, monks secluded on a remote mountain have subsisted solely …

: I plugged a few lines from an old poem I wrote into Midjourney, and this is what I got …

: I thought it was just me who suffered from this: Yes, we all crave attention. We want to be …

: Generously overthinking the internet in 2023 On the audioblog this week: Soulcruzer talks about returning to podcasting after a long hiatus, …

: What would Sartre have to say about this? This morning I find myself in an existentialist mood as 2023 draws to a close. It seems fitting to …

: a pickle factory explosion rained briny dill and gherkin shards across neighbourhoods for miles. …

: the mayor recently outlawed linear time so wednesdays now occur three times a week in my town. the …

: Hold the phone! What if the truth is not as liberating as the fantasy we cling to?

: i have a hard time with half measures; it’s all or nothing with me.

: The Amazon delivery man has gone mad and now believes he is a loaf of rye bread. He has asked us to …

: Like some fever dream through nothingness we wander, seeking meaning yet finding only mirages which …

: I’m going to make a death shelf of books I want buried with me when I die. It’ll be my …

: playing the dozens with Ken Levasseur circa 1981… “You look all like a brick in a …

: when your life passes before your eyes Listen, I know I have become unhinged, but as Phil Colin's said, "I don't care anymore. I don't care …

: i can’t vouch for your safety anymore who know what comes out of weirdos on deluxe.

: i’m going to loosen the ties that bind me to reality. i’m bored with logical progression …

: this takes me back to my West Point cadet years; i used to play this loud enough to get in trouble. …

: maturity is wanting nothing but what we see with the purity of our heart. this sentence reveals a …

: This isn’t just a dystopian fiction plot; it’s a genuine concern. I used to joke about …

: I’m out on a 3 mile ruck march with 11.3Kg / 25lbs in the ruck.

: i feel compelled to pass this message on to you from the queen of the universe

: The latest issue of the barefoot philosopher’s notes is out.

: galvanise the bees my bran flakes need some honey i poked a hornets nest

: I’m fond of Leo Babauta’s minimalist blog. It’s free from distractions, which is …

: I certainly consider myself susceptible to the dangers of reading, though I’d add a …

: in the frostbitten realm where the weak perish and the strong prevail, Kael, with eyes as cold as …

: Sipping coffee embracing the calm before the storm of the day steam swirls from my cup much like the …

: i’m down in sweet old London today to deliver a workshop on values and service.

: breakfast of champions

: paper cup coffee a place to seek and meet evaporate into nothingness

: Something I lack at the moment is the right structure. My life is currently conducted through a …

: writing as an act of rebellion is appealing to me. it’s a way to subvert expectations and …

: currently reading

: i’m totally geeking out this morning

: i was expecting to see snow this morning

: consider the way a song can transport you to a specific moment in time. music is like a time machine …

: are my words not enough? are you not entertained? maximus would be impressed the shadow of …

: i reread parts of Dante’s Inferno today, particularly cantos 1 and 26. he really cranked up …

: note to self: passion has to be your fuel, and you have to give it 100%, no half-measures. your …

: “The Sentence is a love letter to books and bookstores, storytelling and languages,” …

: they say we are enough; in fact, they say we are more than enough. let’s hope they are right.

: I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that the seeker’s path is not linear. Lord knows …

: my muse doesn’t guide; she mostly taunts she’s got me hooked on the dopamine crack …

: doubt lurks in the shadows a sly fox waiting to pounce

: word heist Picture this: A dimly-lit room, the air thick with smoke and the musky scent of old books. A lone …

:

: reborn

: the barefoot philosopher’s notes are in your inbox if you’re a subscriber; otherwise, …

: priorities

: here’s a playlist that’s guaranteed to tickle your ears and grab your soul. it’s a …

: clocks drip time, spoonfuls of sky, laughing rainbows in a cup, shoeless thoughts run by

: today i shall celebrate the beauty of chaos.

: playing with words

: Mark It is one thing to lie to oneself; it’s another to not even know whether one is lying to …

: i better drop these good intentions because we all know where they lead.

: is it too late to change the timeline?

: i want to move beyond what is expected and grasp what is felt, deeply and truly.

: linguistic liberation is what i seek, the courage to embrace my voice however unorthodox it may …

: words offer a playground of infinite possibilities.

: i want to embrace the wildness of language, to see the world not as it is, but as it could be, …

: words are more than mere vehicles of meaning; they are alive, breathing entities that invite the …

: words are not just signs, but symbols, maps, and playful companions on a journey of self-discovery.

: to solve the riddle of the universe, you have to take risks.

: The Ballad of the Bards: Tennyson vs. Coleridge I asked ChatGPT who would win in a rap battle between Alfred Lord Tennyson and Samuel Taylor …

: wisdom's guiding hand Intuition flickers like a phantom, a fleeting but potent presence. It acts as a guide whispering …

:

: time is relentless and indifferent what am I contributing to this world that might outlast my …

: a clandestine heist I don't consider reading a passive absorption but rather a clandestine heist. Every word, every …

: when we repeat words, are we merely echoing the past, or are we creating new threads of meaning? how …

: ideas are the true architects of our world. they build empires, topple tyrants, ignite revolutions …

: kissed with decay

: what is the opposite of faith? is it doubt, perhaps, that shadowy dance partner of belief, twirling …

: ink flows a bridge between what is, what’s been and what’s to come

: the latest edition of my weekend newsletter is out. if you’re a subscriber, it should be in …

: My first impressions of the Xreal VR glasses I received my Xreal Air 2 VR glasses yesterday; they were delivered five days early. I'm currently …

: caps glance floors dance mundane commute life’s quiet salute

: Overwatch, the Skull In a realm of lined shelves, where books stand guard like silent sentinels, there dwells a …

: And in the cycle, there’s beauty and tragedy intertwined. Each day the sun rises, it’s a …

:

: human progress is often a doubled-edged sword on one edge there’s growth, development and the …

: growth, change, and choice

: brevity reigns images flicker like fireflies on a wild summer night the beatnik bard the restless …

: “A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

: what lies beyond the “I”? mystics and philosophers, poets and seekers, have given much …

: in the chamber of the self where echoes form “I” stands alone a silhouette against the …

: on today’s reading agenda

: To my brothers and sisters in arms, past and present, Happy Veterans Day!

: the path behind us is not just a trail of where we’ve been; it’s a map of who …

: on the road that leads to all ends I’m on the road that leads to all ends. I have been for some time. On this road lies an …

: consciousness is erratic ever flowing, battering, shattering into a million sensations and …

: seeing the world as it is, not as you are is extremely hard to do.

: 🎧 Listening to: Welcome To The Machine - Pink Floyd

: Fragments In the trenches, the sky is a staccato rhythm, a bitter tang that coats the tongue of earth. Voices, …

: so it appears I might be a metamodernist, which is to say i am both a skeptic and a dreamer …

: Sometimes, in the quiet moments of perceived isolation, I find the greatest insights and growth.

: loneliness is like the night sky, the stars are company, but they are distant, and the space between …

: The hyperlink the hyperlink can be a profound instrument in this blend, a modern-day manifestation of Eliot's …

: 🎧 Listening to: Time - Pink Floyd This verse haunts me: And you run, and you run to catch up with …

: raining, stay inside and surf the Internet it’s always sunny in virtual reality

: BC = before Christ AD = Anno Domini, "in the year of the Lord” BBT = before Big Tech ABT = after Big …

: i want the words to do something different than they’ve done before.

: truth clings to a moment's breath truth clings to a moment's breath each second, a whisper of reality reflecting in the waters of …

: go hard or go home, said the sweatshirt.

: truth is a slippery creature

: to gaze upon the core of existence, peel back the layers of the world's mysteries  some truths cut …

: I love the contrast of humans; we’re capable of astonishing depth and remarkable triviality at …

: there’s a moment, a fracture in the mundane, where the veil between what is and what could be …

: espresso visions there's a pulse, a beat a rhythm that’s jagged and raw dancing to the cadence of the streetlights. …

: To be who you truly want to be is often to walk a path that others may not understand. There are …

: she whispers to the souls who listen with the ear of the heart and see with the eye of the mind

: where order builds walls, rebellion scales them where thought pauses to ponder, passion erupts

: shadow and light mingle form and spontaneity dance a courtship of chaos and calm

: games night

: She reshuffles the cards again. The patterns elude her. The joker laughs, the queen of hearts still …

: A view of my office today. The Mitre Hotel at Hampton Court.

: my journey to Kingston upon Thames

: I need Kerouac’s words. “All you do is head straight for this grave, a face just covers …

: in an attempt to hold the unholdable, i lose my grip.

: to surrender to fear is to forfeit your potential. to question your own capabilities is to stifle …

: to doubt your journey is to make no progress at all. to mistrust your own work is to be …

: playing with the juxtaposition of words is a favourite pastime of mine.

: I’ve settled on reading, Writing as a Path to Awakening by Albert DeSilver.

: i’m not exactly sure where my mind is this morning. i’m having a slow start. maybe …

: leaves are falling all around

: each poem whispers secrets to another in the quiet corners of the mind, they converse in hushed …

: one of my favourite plays.

: we had to respond to the unknown, knowing there would be dragons in there.

: poetry isn’t a vessel for answers. it’s the question itself—a snowflake in a winter that …

: no leaves

: true art is a revelation. It is a glimpse into the soul of the creator, a window into the vast …

: words flow from the pen ink spilled from a broken heart the cadence of prose the rhythm of poetry …

: true art is a mirror held up to the human condition, reflecting our joys and sorrows, our dreams and …

: the aftermath of Friday night.

: beauty is a moon reflected in water an ephemeral flicker in the pond of consciousness.

: trash day

: may your ink never run dry.

: Your eyes forever greedy consume pixels as if they were dewdrops on blades of grass

: does it ever haunt you, the fear of judgment that comes with recklessness?

: my inspiration today

: emotions emotions we speak of them as if they reside in some spectral realm, ethereal yet tangibly felt …

: what emotion have you yet to truly express, and what new world would it reveal to you?

: the poet within and without we are with the poet, seeing, hearing, and feeling the same things at the same time, a shared but …

: if your life was a poem, what would be it’s central metaphor?

: We are natural beings, always in the process of becoming. Trees push their roots into rocky …

: We walk through this world, each step a brushstroke—colors blending, edges blurring. Some say art is …

: clouds drifting across the sky In the present moment, the clock’s hands stand still. It’s as though time has taken off its coat, …

: Finished reading Making The Tongue Dry by Jen Soriano. This is a captivating blend of nonfiction, …

: if it weren’t for your hips the music would never guide our love to soul if it weren’t …

: my day so far is an orange cut in two.

: Nothing lasts forever—our joys, our sorrows, even ourselves are impermanent. We love deeply, laugh …

: a few weeks old.

: simple and sinister are my buzzwords for today. stolen from Pavel Tsatsouline.

: why should we be any different? Issue #125 of The Barefoot Philosopher’s Notes is out. Here’s a teaser: You walk down the corridors …

: My dream come true (nearly)! For years I've dreamed of having natural conversations with artificial intelligence like Tony Stark …

: here’s a memo I wrote on revolutionising your organisations approach to teamwork based on the …

: curiosity isn’t just about the pursuit of knowledge; it’s an embrace of uncertainty, a …

: I started re-reading Eric Hoffer’s on train journey down to London. It’s the journal he …

: "Who has not, for the sake of his reputation, sacrificed himself?” Something Nietzsche said. This is …

: I’m about to ask my delegates this, so I’ll ask you as well, “How do you want to …

:

: 04:18 early start. headed down to London today.

: The social internet is dead. Get over it, says OM. I disagree. I believe that the social internet is …

: Wendy MacNaughton uses a technique called contour drawing to encourage people to see each other …

: flipping through an old notebook

: where time folds in upon itself, what might you find? a. a mirrored reflection of the past and …

: 🎧 Listening to: Rock The Boat - The Hues Corporation

: i fired up the old audio blog today and recorded a new episode (#346). in which i talk about my …

: i love the idea of Montaigne being the first blogger. he’s a great role model for me and what …

: Here's a memo on the fearless spirit of non-conformity! Celebrate the courage to be different. 

: In my experience, the comfort zone is not inherently a stifling place. It’s a space where the …

: Serenity now

: Sunday stroll

: I stumbled upon this short-form knowledge sharing community called Memod. It feels like a structured …

: life is an essay that writes itself in real-time.

: new patient: Clayton L. fifty five year old African American male. consultant. chronic note-taker. …

: what’s on my mind image prompt: ghosts strangers lizards dreams i used #DALLE3 for this one.

: welcome to saturday, i don’t have a whole lot planned for today apart from putting a new …

: inspired by the heavy rain outside my window right now, i start singing an alice cooper song: rain …

: Started using Squaddy to track my workouts and stumbled upon the Golden Era Workout Club who have a …

: Hexagram 55, “Feng” or “Abundance”

: poetic imagination unfurls itself in the heart of the artist, painting vivid pictures of unseen …

: i was never one for following the rules too closely.

: Genuine and sincere are my current lodestars helping me to align with a greater cosmic truth about …

: The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. L. P. Hartley (The Go-Between 1953)

: this song takes on a whole new meaning now that I’ve seen sinatra the musical. …

: I’m here to see Sinatra The Musical.

: a sliver of silence "Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like …

: 🎧 listening to Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe) as i get on with this afternoon’s tasks.

: Currently reading: Making the Tongue Dry by Jen Soriano 📚

: is it bad that i have to do the math to figure out my age?

: i’m about to start popping caffeine infused pre-workout gummy bears, so it’s probably a …

: other habit, no longer be in the mind of becoming, just be and remember don’t try to be …

: coffee cup empty. a pause. i tap my finger, humming a tune (hell N back), unwittingly synching with …

: “Men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, for everyone can see and few can feel…” …

: do you ever feel like people are watching you? judging you? Virginia Woolf nailed it: “The …

: Ingredients for an Indifferent Life: 1. Routine without purpose 2. Choices made out of convenience …

: my new favourite website: Golden Era Workout Club which is a throwback to the 70s and the golden era …

: oh yes, my favourite place to visit, especially on a Monday morning.

: through self-awareness, we possess this remarkable ability to imagine alternative realities. it …

: “In that moment, I realized how dangerous it was to keep company with the characters from books. …

: i’m so tempted to lie in this grass and take a nap. it’s what balmy Friday afternoons …

: Is your title a refuge or a cage?

: step right up! Step right up! 🎪 Here's where the path ends and the magic begins. I haven't been to a Fun Fair in …

: I’m drinking fruit tea and pondering what a soul needs. What else would you add to this list?

: Consider: Self-pity as a room. Four walls, a door. Are you inside, or are you stepping out? …

: is your bucket list meant to be filled with achievable things, or is it more like a wish list?

: death comes faster than you think

: the age-old quest to bend time …to set things right—or at least, more favourable to our whims and wants. The very thought of …

: life’s like a big dance where everyone’s trying to balance between fitting in with …

: I’ve been thinking about the nature of thoughts and how they’re not born in a vacuum, …

: life unfolds, paths diverge, and somehow, through all of that, we find our way, don’t we?

: WEX 25: travel, spirituality, and the digital nomad life with Sonia Catinean Episode Summary In this engaging episode, we peel back the layers of Sonia Catinean—a spirited …

: we live in a trance-like state, a Matrix of our own making, where the “self” is just a …

: fantastic! what a piece of writing from Richard Dawkins from his book Unweaving the Rainbow: …

: sunday morning scroll, plugging into the matrix (social media), i’ve been all around the world …

: There’s a quote often attributed to William Blake, Aldous Huxley, or Jim Morrison—I’m …

: when did i stop paying attention to the stars? the night sky used to hold my imagination for hours.

: i woke up today feeling two-dimensional, as if i were merely skimming the surface of my own …

: the road to wisdom doesn’t have a single address; it’s more like an ever-changing …

: an unexpected encounter I've always been drawn to ravens; they're my spirit animal. Whenever I'm seeking answers, a walk …

: hitting the mark but missing the point Picture yourself with a bow in hand, an arrow nocked, your gaze riveted on a distant target. You …

: Sunday morning contemplation The house is quiet. I’m drinking coffee and eating Lotus Biscoff biscuits. I’m …

: The indelible need to write, I can feel it in the marrow of my bones, this primal yearning for …

: the seas of change are always daunting, but the stagnant waters of inaction are where dreams truly …

: she told me one that a gentle breeze felt like a hurricane i didn’t know it then but it was an …

: a slice of pizza wisdom It's 8:22PM. I find myself in a hotel room at the Premier Inn in Kingston Upon Thames. My belly is …

: The modern world has, in many ways, dulled our instincts or relegated them to background noise amid …

: I enjoy the domestic tranquility of a momentarily empty house. It doesn’t happen very often, …

: a moment in the forest The forest is like a green temple, with the tall trees serving as the pillars. The hawk up there in …

: I aim to be the guy who seizes life by the scruff of its neck, reshapes it into something more …

: Right now, my mind is like a busy market full of ideas. It’s a chaotic bazaar where many …

: not just dirt and rocks “People don’t take trips, trips take people.” - John Steinbeck At Upton Fields …

: get lost Sometimes when you go looking for yourself you get more lost than you were before. And sometimes …

: once again I find myself venturing down a rabbit hole slipping through the cracks in reality, …

: riffs and reason This past week, I’ve been on a pilgrimage of sound and story with my good friend Jeremy Nathan. Back …

: i'm feeling this right now from On the Road: Dean: “Sal, we’ve got to go and never stop until we get there." …

: grooving to the beat of my inner world remember the halcyon days when our thoughts were the needle, and time was the vinyl spinning in an …

: the pursuit of happiness is a lifelong quest that defies easy formulas (not for lack of trying by …

: As someone with a growth mindset, I find the fixed mindset approach to life hard to grasp. When …

: to raise the soul to great things, the French philosopher, Diderot said, requires great passion. …

: Michel de Montaigne puncuated his brand of philosophy with: What do I know? i’ve been thinking about …

: cosmic ledger Does there exist an unforgiving cosmic ledger that balances our deeds and misdeeds with clinical …

: like Michel de Montaigne i also believe conversation is “sweeter than any other action in …

: “Persuade yourself that each new day that dawns will be your last,” says the poet …

: own your habits.

: foggy morning Strolling beside a lake on a foggy morning, I relish the solitude of the forest. But every few …

: An antique shop sells a mirror that reflects not your physical appearance but your deepest fears, …

: Can someone ever claim to have a truly fresh thought or say something that comes from the depths of …

: Myth and Meaning Growing up, I loved stories of heroic fantasy. Stories like the Lord of the Rings, Conan the …

: stand on the shore of your mind and watch the thoughts roll in like waves how does it feel to watch, …

: once you cross the frontier between black and white and wander into the land tinted in shades of …

: We create our essence through the choices we make. Who I am at this moment is the sum of all the …

: I love this idea that we are the cartographers of our own existence. No territory is predestined; …

: In a world that idolises the ‘I,’ the soul finds sanctuary in the embrace of …

: Hello world!

Tinylytics: WebRing