Mikiesboy

*<>*<>* 14 Prompt: Write about an antique clock Always you’ve sat upon the mantle solid and weighty, you tick and tock keeping time chiming the quarters, then the hours and only Father is the one to wind 15 Prompt: Describe your feelings after meditation Opening closed eyes a sigh escapes my lips returning to now still air fills my lungs my breath is precious my body and mind focus a final deep breath

Nice work, my friend. I'm looking forward to whatever you write next. You did a brilliant job with this one.

My Husband is English from the East Midlands - Grantham ... he keeps on top of the news and i remember Him telling me about that woman who said the people chose to be homeless. Oh, what can you even say to the level of ignorance? We can give and give and we will, but only the gov't stepping to actually build homes will make any difference. Our Premier of Ontario won't allow us to build 4 plexes.. So build upward a little bit. He will only allow single family homes and town houses. Which no one will be able to afford. We have a friend who makes $150,000 per year.. saves a lot of it but he cannot afford a home here in the city where he wants to live. It's insane. I appreciate you posting this. You're welcome anytime, @Mancunian

Maybe we should just take over the world. Our taxes pay for universal health care, but that doesn't extend to dental or eye care. I'm not sure why they're not considered part of our health. However, we will pay the full price for them. When they do provide a service, the government finds ways to claw it back or not cover things. I think people are not of much importance - so much for " government for the people ". Maybe they should let us know which people are important to them. Many people here are choosing to not take required medications because they cannot afford to. How sad is that? Money and profit are the driving force here, and if it costs human life or health, so what.

There's always hope, Gary. I like your take on 5. I hope you find that place. I know what it's like not to have peace. Canoes feel like the best place for me as well. I admire those raft riders from afar. Thanks for reading and your comments.

Like @kbois mentioned, if governments cared about their own country more than the rest of the world, maybe we could improve things for our populations. Thanks, chris.

That's great. Thank you for sharing that. For some reason, I don't see that happening here. We talk about building homes, but who can afford them when they're over a million dollars to buy? The government seems loathe to build housing itself.

Thank you, Reader. i'm happy you enjoyed them. xo

i will do that, Michael.

Thank you, k. I know there are no easy answers. I remember when I worked at the bank, people would complain about homeless people who huddled where the ABMs were. Often, they don't help themselves and can be rude. Not all end up like that, but many do. I get it. There is something wrong in our world. I don't have the answers, but I agree that governments must help their populations. There are indigenous people here who live in shacks and don't have running water or clean water. We need to fix ourselves before fixing everyone else.

Thank you for reading them. I'm glad you liked 2. As the author, it's very clear I wasn't sure whether people would get it, but I'm delighted that some did. Thanks again for your comments and for reading these.

Thanks, chris. i am grateful to you for reading them.

Thanks Parker. I'm glad some of these moved you and you felt compelled to say so.

Thank you Wayne.

Such lovely work—as @chris191070 says, wonderful. I'm glad you tried the Senryu. The alliteration poems made me smile, as did day 15. Thank you for all of these.

This is such a shock and a great loss. Lets just get on with the day and remember.

Oh, the cliffhanger. It is a wonderful tool from the writer's toolbox. It is used here beautifully. This chapter is excellent and leaves us wanting and with more questions than answers. There will be a lot of people waiting for the next. Great job, my friend.

Also, Mike is a Special Constable; he really should know better than to expect more. Thinking back, especially early in our relationship, I wondered why my Husband didn't trust me more. Eventually, I realized it's not about trust; it's about duty.

This is a sad day. As @Sherye Story Reader says, he will be missed. He is such a personality and will always be. My condolences to his friends and family and to @Myr and all those he touched here.

I'm writing this because I read Edward Keenan's column in the Toronto Star newspaper today. It made me sad, angry and frustrated, with our city, those of us who live here, and most especially with those we elect to care for us and our city. Mr. Keenan wrote so well about how this city was once known as Toronto the Good, and it was at one time that people here cared about each other. Now, not so much, as Mr. Keenan wrote, it is Toronto the Hostile...I'll add Toronto the Uncaring. We give to charities here, my husband and me. I thought that was enough. I became complacent and stopped seeing what was actually happening. Homelessness is spoken about, and we pretend to care, yet we design outdoor seating to be deliberately uncomfortable; we have ABM/ATMs that are closed when the bank is closed, all-night diners that close at 10 p.m. or only offer take-out, bus shelters that look like something sliced them in half - they protect you from nothing. All these design changes to ensure people experiencing homelessness can't spend time there. We do this rather than fixing the real issue. People without housing are human beings, and we treat them like they chose to live this way. There indeed are the odd few who did, but most want a 'normal' life. This isn't happening only here; it's everywhere. Places want to make being homeless a crime. Well, I guess jail would provide food and a bed. It's better than the street sometimes, and I can tell you that. I feel sad and disappointed in the answers we've come up with to battle homelessness. It's not going to get better if we shrug and do nothing; after all, maybe we have enough money to live normally. If you're lucky enough, that's how life is for you, then please spare a thought for the less fortunate. It's time to break out your pens and paper or email. Send your demand for something better to your local politician. Give to your local charities if you're able.

Happy Thursday ... Not sure about this one but that's likely just me... Have a good day.

You did a great job with all the poems you wrote. i hope you'll choose to continue writing them.

These are thought-provoking. Each has its own wise message learned over a lifetime. I've read each twice, but I'm sure to return to read them again. Thank you for each of these, Gary.

A wonderful basket of poems. Their flavour will be long on my tongue. Simply brilliant!

That's the best thing i've heard in a long while. Poetry can say so much. Thanks for reading these.