Actions Speak Louder Than Words

 

    For over a week I've been visiting a close family member in hospital everyday and placed at the doors of the elevator was a massive sign that stated the hospital's pledge to its patients.

    It contained the words, caring, compassion, respect, dignity, kindness, humanity, individuality and concluded that everyone matters.

    At first I payed little, or no attention to this collection of words; but as the condition of my relative deteriorated, the words that I read each day became more significant. Writers use words to demonstrate the depth of the thoughts, actions and feelings of their characters in a fictional piece.

    However, being a seriously ill patient in hospital is not a work of fiction, words written in a pledge need to be carried out. Sadly, the staff's actions never did speak louder than the words.

 

 

You're Amazeballs

    If you read original versions of books by William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and other greats; I'm sure we all come across words that are pretty alien to our everyday lives. It may also be that we have to search out the actual meaning.

    The English language and other languages are continuing to develop, all influenced by the multicultural society that we now live in and our use of social media.

    Because of this the Oxford Dictionary has added some new words to their listings, in recognition of words that are now being used on a regular basis by English speakers.

    Some people I'm sure will be holding there hands up in horror, when they read through the new additions. However, if the users of words such as clickbait, amazeballs, bingewatch, neckbeard, sideboob, cray are used in the correct context and the user knows the true definition; I certainly don't know what the fuss is about. After all, YOLO.

Drawing the Line

    There has been lots of debate recently about the over sexualisation of teenage girls. We can't stop talking about how distasteful some of us find the raunchy antics of celebrities and the advertisements for teenager's clothing ranges.

    Yes, we know that sex sells, always has and probably always will. Even if we go back 60, or 70 years in the movies, young female starlets were cast in the lead role not on account of their wonderful acting skills, but because of their sex appeal.

   Without a doubt, due to the Internet and other media outlets it's now out there for all to see, therefore making it a very difficult thing to police. Yes, some girls may try to emulate their idol, or wear their skirt as short as the model's in the advertisement, for them it's part of growing up.

    However, it is our duty as adults to protect our girls and boys whenever possible. Providing both with a good sex and relationship education I believe is critical in helping them distinguish the difference between right and wrong. Ultimately, the teenagers themselves are the only ones that can draw the line that should not be crossed.

   

Super Luna

    As the moon cosies up to Earth on Sunday, 10th August; should we brace ourselves for a natural disaster such as an earthquake, and volcanic eruption? Or, with all the man-made disasters that are going on in this crazy world should we just enjoy the beauty of her lighting up our night sky?

    I'm hoping that the clouds won't come along and spoil the sight of the perigee moon, because I'm depending on its light whilst I'm keeping a look out for vampires, werewolves and any roaming deities that may want to gatecrash the party.

   

   

   

     

Lights Out

The declaration was made.

Words of diplomacy had failed, there was nothing left to be said.

Trenches were complete.

The battle lines drawn, a healthy optimism could save them from defeat.

If the snipers bullet's didn't their lives defend,

The boom of the shells, would stop their scarred mind's ever being able to mend.

As the rats ate the dead soldiers colleagues bodies, that lay by their side,

some reminded themselves that they took the King's shilling.

Yes, they went there willing.

 Believing what they, their King and Government thought was right,

that lamps were going out all over Europe and the people were being left without a light.

#GreatWar #poetry

A Mediterranean Treasure

 

Paphos Harbour Castle

 
    If you've ever visited the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, it's hard to believe that hostilities took place there. Unless you visit Nicosia, the island's largest city which still bears some scars of the heavy fighting there, it's unlikely that you would notice that this warm and friendly land has had its problems.

    Nicosia is the whole of the island's capital, however it is split into two zones. The south being governed by the Republic of Cyprus whilst the north is known to Turkey and only Turkey, as the capital of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

    A buffer zone patrolled by a UN Peacekeeping Force maintains peace and security in the region, amongst the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, through a ceasefire that was agreed forty years ago this month.

 

Theoskepasti Church, Paphos

    When I think about some of the conflicts that are taking place today, I hope that like the governments in Cyprus and Turkey they will allow their people to have normality reinstated in their lives soon, whilst talks take place.
 

Paphos Harbour

        There is so much to see and to enjoy in this country. With its colourful history, architecture and succulent food to sample, it's a pure Mediterranean treasure.

Literary Butterfly

 

 
    With airlines now placing tight weight restrictions on travellers luggage, gone are the days we can pack four, or five, four hundred page paperbacks to read while we're on vacation.

    However since the arrival of eReaders and the wonderful choice of eBooks available, we can take as many books we want along with us.

    I'm a bit of a literary butterfly while I'm on holiday, as my brain in relaxation mode likes to flit from book to book. Therefore, I make sure I download my Kindle with novellas and compilations, including those written by classical authors.

    I have a collection of works written by Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain. What will take my fancy? Who knows, but wherever I start I'll be able to nourish my mind with words from the masters.