Why should I write a poem
if one doesn’t come to mind
What would be the point
even though I have the time
Is it like exercise
Building up the brain
Suddenly I realize
I’m feeling zero pain!
I like when that happens
Posted in AGING, Daily Prompt, Gratitude, NaPoWriMo, Photograph, Poems, Poetry of sorts, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS, Riffs of Retirement, Thinking out loud, thoughts
Tagged NaPoWriMo, Photos, Random, Self-indulgent, short poem
Trying to notice stuff that affirms
rather than misdirects the mind
to messy matters that move a person
to unnecessary struggles
Posted in A Beautiful Day, Gratitude, NaPoWriMo, Photograph, Photos, Poems, Poetry of sorts, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS
Tagged NaPoWriMo, Photo, Poem, RETIREMENT, short poem, Today
Feeling up, energetic, safe
I knew that I could
Also…
Feeling down, sleepy,
headed for something
that might not be good
Happens all at once
Or within moments of time
Pushing me from the absurd to sublime
Right now…
That’s how it is
A hit and a miss
Inner peace and contentment
Can be elusive like this
May you
And may me
Be happy anyway
Safe and untroubled and mostly okay
At ease, on occasion, if not everyday
Posted in Gratitude, Life, Photograph, Photos, Poems, Poetry of sorts, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS
Tagged moods, NaPoWriMo, Photos, Picture, Poem, Random, RETIREMENT, Ruminations
The world can seem cruel
So icy cold
With some mixed-up humans
who put truth on hold
A different perspective
may thaw things out
Warmth and compassion
can help with the doubt
So much beauty and courage
are still on display
I have to believe there is
grace on the way
Not ready today to give in to despair
Some of our problems will always be there
Surely this life will still take its toll
But I’m fresh out of the freezer
and ready to roll
Posted in Commentary, Gratitude, NAPOMO 2024, NaPoWriMo, Photograph, Poems, Poetry of sorts, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS
Tagged NaPoWriMo, Photos, Poem, Poetry, RETIREMENT RIFFS, Ruminations
Here today
And gone tomorrow
Rather not spend it lost in sorrow
So if it’s a choice of something
peaceful
Why not take it?
Could be happiness
is a lot of what we make it
This world has ALWAYS and ALWAYS
been out of kilter
Some of its noisiest, obnoxious
people have no perceivable filter
Grateful to have been in the middle of
so much good so far
even with all my unanswered questions
and the world will be sublime and bizarre
with or without my many suggestions
Posted in Gratitude, Life, NAPOMO 2024, Photograph, Poetry of sorts, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS
Tagged Existential Angst, Flowers, Gratitude, NaPoWriMo, Photos, Poem, Poetry Maybe, short poem
So this is retirement.
Being able to focus more and more on what you choose and less on what is done in exchange for payment in the form of a paycheck.
Some say they feel aimless and at loose ends; or even feel useless. Understandable. After so many, many years of being driven by the task at hand at work and company goals and concerns; not to mention the need for consistent income or formal education; it can take some time to adjust to being totally self-motivated and driven by one’s own preferences and inspirations.
And what if a person has no motivations or inspirations? Wait, maybe that’s not actually the case. Maybe a person just needs to learn, or re-learn, what it is that inspires and engages said person. It’s something that I can lose sight of……um…..I mean it’s something some imaginary person can lose sight of.
It can seem like a revelation that preferences and abilities and talents of one sort or another even exist after awhile. Time gets eaten up by work and all kinds of maintenance stuff. Creative or playful pursuits can often be left out of the picture. Once there is the time and space to focus on them, it can be satisfying to unravel the simple joys that may have been hibernating.
Being part of the working world does have it’s perks; but for me, enough is enough.
For now, I like having minimal commitments, very few deadlines and fewer urgent to-do-lists; a dramatic contrast to the conditions at work. The responsibilities are mine for my life and do not impact employees and clients and the health and welfare of a company. Phew. I can breathe freely more often. It’s nice.
Bonus: I can get outside and walk every day and I can be in the sunshine in the summer without causing myself problems with deadlines. I can write and read and draw and watercolor and grow tomatoes and not have to hurry up. Also nice.
The old saying is that “if a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well” but that is so limiting. If a thing is worth doing, it can even be worth doing badly in order to experience the process and learn what you love to do.
So this is retirement: finding my way as I stumble into the future.
One perspective by Robin Benjamin
Posted in Life, Photograph, RETIREMENT
Tagged AGING, Photos, RETIREMENT RIFFS, Riffs of Retirement
Looking for inspiration
During allergy-induced
miscombobulation
I know, I know
The word is actually
Discombobulation
But that just emphasizes
the degree of distraction
in this blooming season
of sneezing
and cosmic over-reaction
Posted in A Beautiful Day, Photograph, Poetry of sorts, Spring
Tagged allergies, Flowers, Garden, looking out my back door, NaPoWriMo, Photos, Poem
This just jumps out at me.
I like it!
Posted in A Beautiful Day, Garden, Life, Photograph, Photos, Picture This
Clam chowder and key lime pie
A small green salad on the side
A sparking lake and a beautiful sky
Then back home to read and write
Clean the house and take a hike
This is the kind of day I like
Posted in A Beautiful Day, NAPOMO 2024, NaPoWriMo, Photograph, Photos, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS
Tagged NaPoWriMo, Photo, Poem, Poetry, RETIREMENT, short poem
robinbenjamin4 
Might 🤔 Maybe
Maybe it grounds me a bit to be here at my nearby coffee shop. The fact that I think it might be excessive might be why I fear that it might be unwise. But reminder: even if it’s every day, which it is not, it’s still cheaper than therapy and drugs—with fewer negative side effects; other than unhealthy second-guessing and self-recrimination.
(A job can ground a person, too, but being retired, I would need to get a job and I’d rather not at this time. Enough already of 50 years of that for awhile!
Unlike a job, this allows me to write or draw or read. All those things can be done at home – and often are – but here I am not distracted by other home things to do and I can be in a more social environment.)
Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Until it becomes tedious instead of uplifting. Someday I might not care or I might become too old to do things independently.
Maybe. Maybe not.
This morning in the garden 😍👆 💧 💧
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Posted in Coffee, Commentary, Garden, Gratitude, Photograph, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT RIFFS, THE AGING ADVANTAGE, thoughts, wondering and pondering
Tagged Existential Angst, Garden, Gratitude, Photos, RETIREMENT, Self-indulgent, Thoughts, Today