A Poet's Blog: Roger N.Taber shares his thoughts & poems...

Thoughts and observations by English poet Roger N. Taber, a retired librarian and poet-novelist.- "Ethnicity, Religion, Gender, Sexuality ... these are but parts of a whole. It is the whole that counts." RNT [NB While I have no wish to create a social network, I will always reply to critical emails about my poetry. Contact: rogertab@aol.com].

Name:
Location: London, United Kingdom

Sadly, a bad fall in 2012 has left me with a mobility problem, and being diagnosed with prostate cancer the same year hasn't helped, but I get out and about with my trusty walking stick as much as I can, take each day as it comes and try to keep looking on the bright(er) side of life. Many of my poems reflect the need to nurture a positive-thinking mindset whatever life throws at us.

Saturday 22 January 2022

Hi Folks...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

Hi folks, 

Yes, me again in London UK. I've been having a bad day with the prostate cancer and mobility problems, so just dropping by to let you know I hope to post a new poem tomorrow. More to the point, perhaps, is that it helps provide a better quality of sleep if I can stay up a bit later rather than go to bed earlier, however exhausted I might feel. My sleep will still be interrupted (ole Prostate will see to that) but the chances are I may well sleep more soundly between toilet interruptions.😉

Several readers have emailed me to ask just how the cancer affects my quality of life. Well, it certainly does Q o L no favours, but  worrying and hinging about anything never did anyone any favours wither, so as I have said before, I keep nurturing as positive-thinking a mindset as I can (most of the time) and try not to dwell to much on Q o L being in decline and adamantly refusing to measure it on a scale of one to ten... or I would probably burst into tears. 😉

I can at least count myself very fortunate in so far as I remain free of Covid-19 and its variants, although I sometimes wonder why I have been spared so far when far more deserving folks and families have lost loved ones. I live alone, after all, have no family to speak of and, yes, friends would miss me and I them, but it's hardly the same as losing a life partner or close relative...

Such are the ups and downs of life, neither rhyme nor reason to many of them; we can but do our best to overcome the latter and move on, although, as I have said many times on the blog, moving on means leaving no one behind who has contributed to better, kinder, happier times... such memories never die, continuing to support and inspire us even as we struggle to put any hard times behind us.

Oh, yes, I really do practise what I  preach or the prostate cancer and other health issues would have  seen me laid out on a mortuary slab years ago...😉

As I'd invariably I hit hard times when I was younger, I would think myself into a positive frame of mind, look and drive myself  into forward-thinking mode and devise a plan of action (of sorts) rather than start feeling sorry for myself.; after all, travelling hopefully has always had the advantage over going nowhere fast. 😉

Although I have reservations about coronavirus precautions being relaxed next week here in London and much of the UK, especially with a new Omicron variant doing the rounds,  I took the plunge recently and ventured farther afield than usual, taking the London Underground  to have lunch with an old friend in a favourite pub. We enjoyed catching up over a meal and several pints. I only allowed myself one pint and two half pint glasses of Guinness, but had a bad night all the same. Even so, it was well worth it; if friendship and good conversation requires the occasional sacrifice, so be it...😉

Well, time to bid you all "Goodnight" here in London and many thanks again for your supporting the blog and giving me a good reason for getting up in the mornings during the pandemic, not forgetting your motivating me to write poems, among which I hope you will enjoy some, at least, and feel lighter of heart  for reading them as I do for writing them. Although my poems attempt to convey various shades of nature and human nature, I always try to end on a  positive note. Well, it has to beat the alternative, yeah...? 😉

Take care, dear readers, and keep well,

Back again tomorrow with (hopefully) a new poem that is proving a devil to get right,

Hugs,

Roger




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