Well, today has been a great day to say the least. Last night I went out with my Dad and watched a movie that was based on a popular book called “The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared”. The movie was literally a non-stop laugh riot and I think in a way it made my Dad, who is only 23 years away from 100, feel good about himself. The movie was Swedish and had a lot of subtitles, but much of it was in English. It followed the adventures of an old man who had been put into a home for having the odd hobby of blowing up things, and I think I could best describe it as a Swedish Forrest Gump. I thought it would be kind of cool to put in a photo of one of my best friends who is getting up there, but not quite near 100 yet either. I used a black and white setting on my camera and I think it comes up with a pretty nice rendering of what Walter is like.
Aside from all that, I sat down today and wrote a poem. I have been having misgivings lately about putting poems up on this website, because in all reality, it doesn’t do me much good and although I get a lot of hits on this page, I don’t sell any books. The fact of the matter is, in order to make any money off your writing, you need to get a following first and convince them that your writing is worthwhile (or so I hope it works that way). After a couple more pictures which are in sharp contrast to each other (one is the winter skyline of Edmonton, and the other is of a shark I took a picture of in the aquarium in Hawaii), I will put my poem in for you to read. Thanks for being a part of my website, I welcome any comments anyone would like to leave.
Cold Winter Nights Still Have Their Delights
Can it be; can it be true
That this very place will be my tomb
This, my warm writing room
Outside it’s so cold
Somehow the howl of the wind
Beckons my soul
I can see from my window
The shimmering curtains
Of deep winter lights
Off in the sky, that deep northern sky
I keep wondering why
It must blow so chill and so harsh
The snow, the snow, the shimmering snow
In the streetlight’s glow
Doesn’t it know
I will never go
From this place, the only place that I know
The snow, the snow being driven by wind
Finds me sealed inside
My furnace guarding me; keeping me warm
Free from all harm
But still there beckons a charm
That northern clime charm
Inside my chest beats a heart
That was made for this place from the start
That longs to make snow angels
Snowballs to throw
Ice castles to show
Get a toboggan or an inner tube
Get to a powdered-up hill and cruise and cruise
Inside my chest beats a heart
That was made for this place from the start
That needs to head to a mountain
See those grandiose sights and purely natural sounds
Those peaks that seem to not know any bounds
To take up my skiis and my hopes
To blast down their slopes
Run myself ragged and cold
Then hide away in some small bustling chalet
With all of my friends who come out on these days
Sip on some chocolate laced with a marshmallow floating
Look at the athletic young women and their young boyfriends gloating
Some say that this season makes all of us sad
Some say that down south there is more adventure to be had
Oceans to swim in and beaches to inspire
But I can’t leave this place, this place of which I never will tire
Or the warm wood-fired glow of gathering in front of the fire
Too much adventure, too much to be had
Too much to sit in the dark
Of my tomb
In my writing room
Writing more poems
Of things I wish I could do
Leif Gregersen
November 28, 2014
Mental Health coping skills blog by leif gregersen 