the year that was
January
The world watches in amazement
Longest shut down in history
Watching it all in Korea
contemplating escaping the cold winter
February
World watches as North Korea and the US
Walking back from the brink of war
escaping the cold winter blues
revisiting Vietnam after 15 years
March
The chaos president continues his chaos tour
the world begins to ignore his constant insane tweets
heading back to DC inspecting property
seeing old friends glad I retired
April
the chaos King’s policy remains a shamble
as the Mueller team closes in
in Korea I write a poem a day
and begin to become a publish writer
May
watching from afar
the chaos in DC and the world
traveling to DC to inspect property
celebrating my wife’s big 60
June
the President walks away
from a non deal with the North Koreans
I am back in DC
end up cruising to Alaska
July
watching the insanity in DC
while visiting Alaska, Seattle and Yakima
visiting my father’s grave in Yakima
communing with family ghosts
August
the dog days of summer the world is consumed
wars, rumors of war, trade wars
retuning to Korea
surviving the August sauna like summer
September
The whistle blower sets off a bomb
the president lies no quid for quo perfect all
trying to avoid watching the news
hiking in the Korean mountains with old friends
October
the President flitters about my crisis after another
the UN diplomats laugh at him national humiliation
returning to DC yet again more property blues
celebrating my 64th year orbiting the sun
November
the House starts formal impeachment hearings
watching fascinated by the impeachment drama
entering my third NoVoWrMo competition with Timeless Love
ending the month sudden surprise trip to Okinawa
December
the year ends on a high dramatic
President Trump becomes the 3rd impeached President
hiking enjoying the late autumn like weather
contemplating my wealth at the end of the year
the Terrifying Teens
2010
The dark days of the great recession
Begin slowly to fade away
Ending my Barbados experience -the best job in the foreign service on high note best labor officer award
2011
the president and Congress locked in battle battles
glimmer of hope as economy comes back to life
Studying Spanish arriving in Spain
worst year ever part of three years bad luck
2012
the US re-elects the Black President
rejecting Romney entitlement mentality
I leave Spain my last foreign posting
buying new property in the fall
2013
In the US the religious right
loose the social Battling gay marriage, legal pot
Starting a new job as an evaluate program evaluator
ending my six month wandering the halls of State
2014
The Obama presidency
The tea party rebellion on the right
Moving to Capitol Hill
My sister’s sudden death rattles me
2015
The end of the Obama era
Was this the beginning of the end of America
Beginning the year with a new job
resolving to retire, enjoy life while I still can
2016
American voters and at the madness
Elects the mad would be king President Trump
We traveled across the country 10,000 miles
To celebrate the end of my foreign service career
2017
the year of the chaos president
Fast and furious disruption to the norms
Went to Oregon to renovate property
becoming wealthy in the process
2018
the American public woke up
Send a blue wave to clean up the mess
Moving back to Korea
Blogging up a storm
2019
in the end of the year that was
The house races up and impeach is the president
I travel to Vietnam, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and
Okinawa
Dreams
Dream what may come
Recalling past lives lived
Every fantasy comes to life
All night long
More nightmares to come
So many worlds to explore
Fate
Fate has a way
Always catching up
To you embrace your fate
that is what’s up
at the end of the day
Endless dancing away
The Oyster Speaks Up
A diner sits down
looking forward
to eating oysters
it was their season
after all
just as he was about
to pounce
on the oysters
the head oyster spoke up
saying
hey human what the hell
do you think you are doing
you think you have the right
to eat me?
that’s violating my human right
don’t ya think
the diner laughed
said to the oyster
shut up and accept
it is your fate
to be eaten this date
just let me enjoy eating you
and you have no human rights
as you are in fact
not human don’t ya know
eating the complaining oyster
shutting him up
as he ate him up