2022 was OK

2022: it was OK.

It had its ups
It had its downs
It buttered me all around

At times, I felt,
like a succulent crumpet
dropped face down.

But then, I’ve learnt,
not even a face-down buttered crumpet
need bring you down.

At January’s end,
fled the beast
from deep below
the castle built on sand

Made it out alive,
only nursing wounds
but lost one man
by February’s end.

Said goodbyes
moved south
with a lady
Just us
and the van
no better way
to send someone crazy

But we survived
New South Wales was fried
Victoria didn’t even try
South Australia – that was a vibe
But for Tassie
my Heart cried

So here we stayed
Life got colder
but gentler too
balance was the focus
It took time
bit off more to chew
The Slow Life
Stability
These things take work too.

Lotta firsts:
First lease
First real tax year
Got a PO box
Gave in to home
“Australia”
Love ya
(Fuck you though)

Alas,
life’s a gamble
Not all crumpet drops
end in shambles
There’s one-in-two chances,
don’t you know?
Butter: upside
“Cool bananas”
Life goes on

The mercenary life suits me
think I’ll do this for now
There’s no one I need to be
more than me
One name?
Two names.
A brand?
Got an ABN.
That’s another first…
In the end,
there is no end.
From now to then,
it’s a long road ahead…
So why not bring a friend?

That’s what I did learn,
truly,
above all else:
The importance
of being kind
To others, yes
but to myself.
As without, so within,
sounds so trite.
It took 29 years
just to realise
the secret to Everything…
Is to just not be a cunt.

(…Therapy helps too.)

The mercenary life suits me well
as does slowness, stability, balance
Tassie feels like home.
The cold’s embrace
chills my wicked temper
But even that’s cooled
with a little bit of compassion
Tassie feels like home
too bad, that lady I found,
she misses the warm.

New coast, new Country
Pour out one more
for one more goodbye
and one more adventure
the ride is never over.

There’s still some juice in the tank
for that, the Gods, I thank
West might not be best
but at least it’s not going underwater

2022 was OK
but despite Stability
life is never slow
It’s all too long
but all too short
Ebbs, flows,
sometimes, nowhere to go
But you know?
It never hurts to bring a friend

Fortune favours the brave…
and the stupid, so I’ve heard
Life goes on –
never slow –
but with you I win it all.

Or Just Keep on Reading!