February 2023 – The Hobart Chinaman

Joey and f-word Blowies

Various nations have their slang,

Explaining different things,

Words bind members of a gang,

To run outsiders round in rings.

In Oz nick names for everything.

To give that extra zing.

So child kangaroos are known as joeys.

And filthy flies called (fuck’n)* blowies

* in Australia 🇦🇺 the noun blowies 🪰 ( typically a swarm of blowies) 🪰 is preceded by the adjective, to express disgust at their filthy habits.

Άννα 4

Part of a series on the wisdom of άννα v, from whom I am learning about the wisdom of age

Visit fortnightly while volunteering,

It’s a most unlikely match.

Folk selected without much cheering,

They’lll just have to start from scratch.

So 🇹🇼 China old man meets Greek 🇬🇷 widow,

What possibly could go wrong with this.

Doubt they’ll dance as when were kiddos,

How to find harmonic bliss?

His wife provides perfect solution,

She comes along, all get on fine.

Her mindfulness and her devotion,

Settles elsewise troubled minds.

Dedication: thc – thankyou Anne my darling wife

Smoke and Water

EphemeraI is that what title evokes?

Imagery of water mixed with smoke,

Seeing what your mind can conjures,

From memory thrusts or deeper plunges.

No, that would be too trite for me,

I describe what I can see.

Bottled water rests over there

With ciggies freshning morning air.

Άννα 3

Part of a series on the wisdom of άννα v, from whom I am learning about the wisdom of age

Greek to English, then to me,

Her ideas without sophistry.

Can I listen in present tense

Without destroying her tale’s essence.

It’s not translation that I seek,

To understand tales for the meek.

She writes her summary of each month,

What was learned and what to punt.

Just like a diary, that’s for sure,

Her writing makes me beg for more.

Each summary of some days gone by,

I listen closely and wanna cry.

Άννα 2

Part of a series on the wisdom of άννα v, from whom I am learning about the wisdom of age

What is it ’bout strength of character,

Well first of all, s’not in our nature,

To listen to the elderly,

‘Cos one day soon this will be me.

To hear reflections on life gone by,

Is not to reference “pie in the sky”,

Her intentions are for our well being,

So don’t dismiss them as obscene.

Basically it’s about her love,

Gifts she’s received from God above.

To hear her stories we are blessed,

Real truths revealed which pass the test,

Of wisdom learned, so quite profound,

To stop us going round and round.

Άννα

Part of a series on the wisdom of άννα v, from whom I am learning about the wisdom of age

Listen to her tale of life,

Devoted Mum and faithful wife.

Her Harry buried in the ground,

A marble monument upon his mound.

We listen to her many story’s

Of pain and suffering, miraculous glory.

I could listen to her all day long,

Exposing these might be quite wrong.

But then again, there’s lessons here,

Reveals her story’s without fear,

These fables are told in the present,

And for her grandkids of Greek descent.

having been with a family doctor for eight years, he retired. Eventually I found a doctor at one of those ‘doctor clinics’ closer to my home. After interviewing several doctors I chose one who matched my needs, a middle-aged bloke. A couple of six monthly consultations, in reception rang to say he was no longer practising there and I needs go get another doctor, they of course had none. They were useless at suggesting anywhere, so I trudged around hereabout and found my own. No, they weren’t gonna have my medical records transferred unless I’d attended an appointment. ‘

I sought a doctor hereabouts,

Been dumped by one ” now get you out!”

About my health they didnt care,

Their wealth depended on my health scares.

The practice was found up the stairs,

Past gyms and food shops everywhere,

Whilst charging just the standard fee,

The place did not seem right for me.

Receptionists with cool demeanour,

Ignored you like they hadn’t seen ya.

Fill out this form first and then that,

They had no time for idle chit chat.