FINAL STOCK MARKET SCORE =>>> JOE: 13.1%, INFLATION: 3.3%

FINAL SCORE =>>> JOE: +13.1% INFLATION: +3.3%

I had a pretty good year in the stock market this year. Many of you probably recall, I worked hard at getting myself back to being a low-risk investor over the past couple of years – and in 2024 I finally achieved that. So, my primary financial objective for 2024 (which will continue from this point forward) was to get back to being a low-risk investor – maintaining my spending power by beating inflation or at least not giving back the stellar gains I achieved over the past decade or so (my 12-year average annual gain through and including the losses from 2022 was 35% as you can see by scrolling through the following post: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/final-stock-market-score-joe-57-2-spx-24-2/). Core inflation was 3.3% year-over-year back in November – so I beat that number by a sizable margin (the December numbers have not yet been released).

Anyone who has met or exceeded their financial investment goal should be a low-risk investor like me. Everyone else should be taking a higher risk approach in order to achieve their financial investment goals. And if you need help with that, you know who to ask.

I adjusted my investment strategies this year as I normally do every year. For example, regarding Coinbase (COIN), if I had stuck to my more usual investing strategies, I probably would have sold all of my COIN shares back in February and not realized all of the gains I achieved. COIN was by far my top performing stock this year gaining 126% [my second and third best performing stocks were VMEO (64% gain), and GNK (51% gain)]. Towards the end of 2023, I somehow got the insight to treat COIN differently than my other investments. The strategy I used for this highly volatile stock was to sell 1/3 of my shares when COIN gained 33%, and buying more shares whenever COIN dropped 33%. This strategy really worked well and allowed me to experience much higher gains than I ordinarily would. I plan to stick with this strategy in 2025.

When I traveled through Portugal back in spring, people I met there became very interested when they found out I was a life coach – asking me for help with finances and investing so they could create a brighter future for themselves. This inspired me to write the Joe Brennan 6-Step Process to Financial Success with minimal effort post: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-invest-well-and-create-a-brighter-future-with-minimal-effort/. I followed this post up with a second post designed to help people even further with finance and investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/a-simple-lesson-in-finance-why-investing-invigorates-and-debt-devastates-your-finances/. So, I encourage you to read these two posts when you get the chance. You’ll become a much better investor if you do.

Amazingly, as a low-risk investor, I ended up beating three of the major market indexes this year: the Dow Jones Industrial Average index’s end-of-year (EOY) gain (+12.9%), the Russell 2000 index’s EOY gain (+10.0%), and the S&P 500 Midcap 400 index’s EOY gain (+12.2%). I didn’t come close to achieving the gains of the two other major market indexes this year such as the S&P 500 index’s EOY gain (+23.3%) and the Nasdaq index’s EOY gain (+28.6%). But that’s okay because as a low-risk investor, I should not be matching those gains – and whenever the overall markets drop, I’ll be thankful that I’m taking a low-risk approach.

My primary objective for 2024 was beating inflation which I was able to handily do. A secondary target I use as a low-risk investor is taking the end-of-year gain of the S&P 500 (SPX) and dividing by 5. I handily beat on that metric as well (23.3%/5 = 4.66%). So, overall, 2024 was a highly successful investment year for me. We’ll see what 2025 brings.

I’ve pretty much sold all of my stocks (I am presently only about 6.5% invested in stocks – the remaining 93.5% is in low-risk income) and am now awaiting a sizable drop before buying back into the stock market. My current estimate is that the stock market is about 20% overvalued. As such, as a low-risk investor, I plan to start slowly buying back into the stock market after about a 15% decline in the S&P 500 index (SPX) overall. Those who are higher risk investors should probably plan to buy back in after about a 10% drop or so.

You can learn about all of my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing. So, use any downtime you might have to your advantage by gaining this knowledge and learning these skills and techniques (https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/).

Make it your goal to learn these investment techniques so that you can progress towards achieving the financial freedom and independence you’ve always dreamed of. I would have done so much better if I had learned this stuff years ago!

Also, you can read all about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much investing success for 2025 (and beyond).

#selfimprovement, #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #success #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

☆°▪︎ WARMING WHISPERS AND WINE (DANCING WITH CANDLELIGHT) ▪︎°☆

I

wonder . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like,

.

.

t

o

.

.

be

.

t

h

e

.

guy

.

w

h

o

.

brings

.

t

h

a

t

.

smile

.

t

o

.

your

eyes . . .

.

.

.

 ~ who

fills

.

y

o

u

r

.

nights

.

w

i

t

h

.

warming

whispers

.

a

n

d

.

wine,

whenever

.

h

e

.

comes

.

t

o

.

mind . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

t

o

dance

inside

.

y

o

u

r

.

candlelight

.

f

o

r

.

moments

.

a

t

.

a

.

time . . .

.

.

.

f

o

r

moments

.

a

t

.

a

.

time . . .

.

.

.

when

.

t

h

e

.

rhythm

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme

aligns,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

feels

.

j

u

s

t

.

right . . .

.

.

.

 ~ when

.

t

h

e

.

rhythm

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme

aligns,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

feels

.

j

u

s

t

.

right . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

.

I

almost

believe . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

almost

believe . . .

.

.

.

y

o

u

could

.

b

e

.

mine . . .

.

.

.

I

almost

believe . . .

.

.

.

I

almost

believe . . .

.

.

.

I

almost

believe . . .

.

.

.

y

o

u

could

.

b

e

.

mine . . .

.

.

.

when

.

t

h

e

.

rhythm

.

a

n

d

.

rhyme

aligns . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

feels

.

j

u

s

t

.

right . . .

.

.

.

s

o

again

.

tonight,

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

t

o

be

.

t

h

e

.

guy

.

w

h

o

.

brings

.

t

h

a

t

.

smile . . .

.

.

.

 ~ who

fills

.

w

i

t

h

.

whispers

.

a

n

d

.

wine . . .

.

.

.

 ~ who

dances

.

inside

.

t

h

a

t

.

candlelight . . .

.

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

I

wonder

.

w

h

a

t

.

it

might

.

b

e

.

like . . .

.

.

.

.

t

o

be

.

t

h

e

.

guy . . .

.

.

.

 ~ to

be

.

t

h

e

.

guy . . .

.

.

.

i

n

your

life.

Reflection: Here is a new romantic-themed poem that I wrote in reflection of a recent experience. I’m sure many of us have had similar kinds of experiences and can probably relate to this – so I thought I would try to capture it in images and words. I hope I captured it well and am grateful that I still have experiences like this from time-to-time. I started out by penning the line: “I wonder what it might be like . . .” and the poem pretty much wrote itself from that opening line. I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful, haunting gem of a song “Touch in Mine” by Esperanza Spalding which I played in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem and inspire the writing of the poem. So, if you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2024-2025!

Happy holidays everyone! One thing I used to do years ago for the holidays was hand out themed compilation CDs of music people couldn’t buy anywhere to give them something special and unique and wonderful to listen to over the holiday season (and beyond). They did not contain holiday music or anything which, for me, tends to get old after a short while – just unique music that is nice to listen to for something different. I was always particular and intentional about the themes I came up with and always ordered the tracks in such a way to ensure they created a wonderful musical experience and a smooth flow from one track to the next.

I used to do this year-after-year up until the widespread use of I-tunes, media players, Spotify and such. So, I started to realize CDs were probably a waste of time and effort. Well, the last couple of years I decided to recreate some of those CDs as Playlists on Spotify.

For this year I recreated my Laid-Back Lounge CD as a playlist with a few extra tracks. So, check it out when you get the chance: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5szvQk9eJlHix5KRs9TcL2?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1K6jE_L8fFaRFD7xH6y8sdSDw4mGtEJKQ47FhkGM9gOxQadwvITpHlJ5U_aem_bDKXVL4R48UPfwfUmu8oQQ

I hope you will enjoy this as much as I do. Also, one song missing (not available on Spotify) is the Cafe del Mar version of Kalliope’s Lunar Landing (Here it is on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X-Rg13QyTE ). I encourage you to check that out and insert it just after the track 13 (Blank & Jones: Desire – Ambient Mix) if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify. It fits in well with this playlist. Also, feel free to modify the playlist to make it your own including adding some of your favorites.

Below is the complete set of playlists I have provided so far over the past few years (including this one). So, feel free to check each of these out as well over the holidays (and beyond):

1. Classical Gems (nice and soothing classical music): Classical Gems – playlist by Joe Brennan | Spotify

2. Candlelight Classic Jazz I (mainly old classic vocal jazz): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1R0tZBB8MOZUJgA01LrK2C

3. Candlelight Classic Jazz II (mainly old classic instrumental jazz): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/10ZO5Mrv5fF2Uns7QEzWVT

4. New Age (Morningtide-Eveningtide): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5S0Re0yHvQma9WMai20w36

People really seemed to love this one for helping them to relax and even sleep. One song (What a Beautiful Sunset by Angelwing) was not available on Spotify but I encourage you to check out this excellent song as well: https://youtu.be/pXgjQPgh4bM?si=ovRvGhgp3V_G47JI . You can add this wonderful track if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify.

5. Acoustic Tracks: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4rjwsNOCPfWZJFK72cKvji… This is a playlist that I love to listen to around the start of Autumn. For some reason the music really seems to fit at that time. None of the Joni Mitchell songs were on Spotify but tracks such as: the acoustic live version of “People’s Parties” (my very favorite: https://youtu.be/NktbeZiMYfA?si=dV0LcJEL6uo1aTbJ), “Urge for Going” (https://youtu.be/ZvSvTRhAJxg?si=hKeMtJUa95dTLGUk), “Little Green” (https://youtu.be/HTxUrDtoPP0?si=fo0yREfcqCIxaznn), “A Case of You” (https://youtu.be/0YuaZcylk_o?si=hwbPrgdwdmxUYHlM), “Court and Spark” (https://youtu.be/_1Z6I62yvfg?si=irKLbee4rBS5evAI), and “That Song About the Midway” (https://youtu.be/O9R82TThjdw?si=jA4wsRNPDVaNUJXo) are excellent. So add the above tracks if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify.

6. Smooth Sailing 50s/60s (old 1950s &1960s pop songs): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3x0UnPJDMQqXcgxDIemCep?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3RHM9yqOIQOjrOnqISFry887itxeznZ0d2wZ0XQrgwCmPqzIi_nOfYXyQ_aem_r18OoHjvhW4nyAOVmuw-ag I heard some old music on a radio station a few months ago when driving around in New Smyrna Beach and I loved it so much that, for something different, I made a whole playlist to share with everyone. So, check it out when you get the chance: Some of the lyrics are outdated for these modern times but the music is Wonderful. Also, the Sue Raney version of the second song (Till There Was You – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEoG1TYLBWI) is much better than the Peggy Lee version but Spotify didn’t have the Sue Raney version. I encourage you to check that out and replace the Peggy Lee version with the Sue Raney version if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify. It’s so much better than the Peggy Lee version and fits in well with this playlist.

7. Laid Back Lounge (chill-out lounge/cafe music): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5szvQk9eJlHix5KRs9TcL2?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1K6jE_L8fFaRFD7xH6y8sdSDw4mGtEJKQ47FhkGM9gOxQadwvITpHlJ5U_aem_bDKXVL4R48UPfwfUmu8oQQ. One song missing (not available on Spotify) is the Cafe del Mar version of Kalliope’s Lunar Landing (Here it is on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X-Rg13QyTE ). I encourage you to check that out and insert it just after the track 13 (Blank & Jones: Desire – Ambient Mix) if you create your own playlist outside of Spotify. It fits in well with this playlist.

Enjoy this music over the holiday season (and beyond) and feel free to share with anyone else who might enjoy these or could use a positive thought and a smile to brighten up their day.

Lastly, just in case it might be helpful to you (or others in your life):
As a first step when I take on new life coaching clients, I usually assign the following as a homework assignment: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/how-to-defeat-any…/
Why? Because this is the entry level step for putting them into a more positive place and ensuring we are working towards actual, instead of perceived, problems. It can be a substantial waste of time, effort, and energy working towards solving non-problems and taking this step (and Step 2 below) can be instrumental in avoiding that. After 3-4 weeks of consistently addressing the external factors indicated in the post above, many people feel much better about themselves and about their lives and are better able to focus on what they really want in life instead of spending time, money, and energy trying to solve problems which are really not problems at all.

After Step 1 has been completed, Step 2 is here which offers a guaranteed way to live increasingly happier : https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/happiness-tip-clear…/

I hope the above will be helpful to you or to others in your life.
Happy Holidays everyone! May 2025 be the best year of our lives EVER! 🙂

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #mindfulness #peace #joy #positivethinking #balance

☆°▪︎ THE SHIMMER AND SHINE (OF A LIFE LEFT BEHIND) ▪︎°☆

I

.

a

l

w

a

y

s

.

thought

.

I

.

m

i

g

h

t

.

see

.

y

o

u

.

again,

sweet

.

friend . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

always

.

t

h

o

u

g

h

t

.

I

.

might . . .

.

.

.

I

always

.

f

e

l

t

.

there

might

.

b

e

.

more

fine

.

a

n

d

.

fun

times,

.

.

w

h

e

n

.

.

I

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

see

.

y

o

u

.

smile . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

always

.

f

e

l

t

.

there

might . . .

.

.

.

b

u

t

the

weeks,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

months,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

years

.

.

g

o

.

.

by . . .

.

.

.

leaving

nothing

.

m

o

r

e

.

than

miles

.

a

n

d

.

time,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

time

.

a

n

d

.

miles . . .

.

.

.

 ~ leaving

miles

.

a

n

d

.

time,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

time

.

a

n

d

.

miles . . .

.

.

.

o

f

emptiness

behind . . .

.

.

.

where

I

.

d

o

.

not

.

s

e

e

.

your

smile . . .

.

.

.

where

I

.

d

o

.

not

.

f

e

e

l

.

your

light . . .

.

.

.

where

I

.

d

o

.

not

.

s

e

n

s

e

.

your

shimmer

.

o

r

.

shine . . .

.

.

.

 ~ where

I

.

d

o

.

not

.

s

e

n

s

e

.

your

shimmer

.

o

r

.

shine . . .

.

.

.

s

o

the

weeks,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

months,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

years

.

.

g

o

.

.

by . . .

.

.

.

The

weeks,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

months,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

years

.

.

g

o

.

.

by . . .

.

.

.

The

weeks,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

months,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

years

.

.

g

o

.

.

by . . .

.

.

.

The

weeks,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

months,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

years

.

.

g

o

.

.

by . . .

.

.

.

leaving

nothing

.

m

o

r

e

.

than

miles

.

a

n

d

.

time,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

time

.

a

n

d

.

miles . . .

.

.

.

 ~ leaving

miles

.

a

n

d

.

time,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

time

.

a

n

d

.

miles . . .

.

.

.

o

f

emptiness

behind . . .

.

.

.

where

.

I

.

g

e

t

.

haunted

.

b

y

.

the

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

 ~ where

I

.

g

e

t

.

haunted

.

b

y

.

the

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

o

f

my

mind . . .

.

.

.

I

.

g

e

t

.

haunted

.

b

y

.

the

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

I

.

g

e

t

.

haunted

.

b

y

.

the

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

I

.

g

e

t

.

haunted

.

b

y

.

the

mirrors . . .

.

.

.

o

f

my

mind . . .

.

.

.

shining

.

a

.

bright

.

a

n

d

.

bitter

light

.

o

n

.

a

.

life

.

l

e

f

t

.

behind . . .

.

.

.

 ~ shining

a

.

bright

.

a

n

d

.

bitter

light

.

o

n

.

a

.

life,

forever

.

l

e

f

t

.

behind.

Reflection:  This is a melancholy-themed poem where the contemplator looks back on a special someone he or she greatly misses who really meant something to him/her earlier in life. The contemplator struggles with the heartbreak, the sadness, the emptiness, and the loneliness, as well as the sinking feelings that frequently accompany these. He/She spends a lot of time brooding and finds little meaning, purpose, or joy in life as a result. I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful, gem of a song “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor which I played in the background to create the “moodset” and inspire the writing of the poem. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ THE WARM AND WELCOME EASE (IN THE DAYS OF YOU AND ME) ▪︎°☆

The

hotel

.

b

y

.

the

sea

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

It

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

It

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

It

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

I

.

can

.

s

t

i

l

l

.

feel,

the

breeze,

the

tease,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

ease . . .

.

.

.

  ~ the

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

ease . . .

.

.

.

o

f

the

days

.

o

f

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

me . . .

.

.

.

  ~ the

days

.

o

f

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

me . . .

.

.

.

when

fantasies

.

a

n

d

.

romantic

dreams

.

c

o

u

l

d

.

still

.

beat

.

a

n

d

.

breathe . . .

.

.

.

They

.

c

o

u

l

d

.

beat

.

a

n

d

.

breathe . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

beat

.

a

n

d

.

breathe . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

beat

.

a

n

d

.

breathe . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

beat . . .

.

.

.

tossing,

.

a

n

d

.

tumbling,

.

a

n

d

.

rumbling

.

restlessly . . .

.

.

.

relentlessly . . .

.

.

.

.

all

along

.

t

h

a

t

.

breathtaking

beach . . .

.

.

.

all

along

.

t

h

a

t

.

breathtaking

beach . . .

.

.

.

all

along

.

t

h

a

t

.

boundless,

.

blossoming,

.

breathtaking

beach . . .

.

.

.

i

n

the

days

.

o

f

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

me . . .

.

.

.

  ~ in

.

t

h

e

.

days

.

o

f

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

me . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

there

.

w

a

s

.

no

.

o

t

h

e

r

.

place,

we

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

rather

.

be . . .

.

.

.

There

.

w

a

s

.

no

.

o

t

h

e

r

.

place,

we

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

rather

.

be . . .

.

.

.

There

.

w

a

s

.

no

.

o

t

h

e

r

.

place,

we

.

w

o

u

l

d

.

rather

.

be . . .

.

.

.

i

n

the

days

.

o

f

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

me . . .

.

.

.

s

o

the

hotel

.

b

y

.

the

sea

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

It

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

It

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

It

haunts

me . . .

.

.

.

f

o

r

.

.

.

I

.

can

.

s

t

i

l

l

.

feel,

the

breeze,

the

tease,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

ease . . .

.

.

.

The

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

ease . . .

.

.

.

The

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

ease . . .

.

.

.

The

warm

.

a

n

d

.

welcome

ease . . .

.

.

.

o

f

the

days

.

o

f

.

you

.

a

n

d

.

me.

Reflection:  This is a romantic-themed poem where the contemplator is haunted by the memory of a past romance in the days of youth and is largely a reflection of the romantic ease frequently experienced in our younger days – something which seems to get more difficult and far less frequent as we age. In the days of youth, romance was largely a focus – but as time marches on we become weighed down by guilt, insecurities, responsibilities, and competing priorities. So, it seems that even if we could recreate the exact same romantic scenes and events from the past that still haunt us today, we might still not be able to do anything different which might make them last – and, in fact, we might not experience them at all because we are different people today. I wrote this poem using a much-loved, chill-out lounge song (“Beyond the Sunset” by Jo Manji – which was an excellent Cafe del Mar Volume 9 track [(Chillout Downtempo) | Beyond The Sunset | Jo Manji (Cafe Del Mar Vol.9)]. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

MIGHT BE TIME TO TAKE PROFITS

A lot of people have made huge gains in the stock market this year so far. So, you might want to take a close look at your investment accounts and make some adjustments at some point. I think we might be looking at a sizable drop in 2025 or so which could present a good time to buy back in. At least that is what I’m thinking right now.

Usually stocks rally into December/January but may not as much this year due to the outsized gains so far.

Have a happy Sunday!

You can read more about my finance and investing tips here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/category/financial-planning-management-and-investing-related-posts/

You can learn about my investing techniques via my “Invest Like a Pro in 10 Minutes a Day!” series of 4 books where you can learn the “end to end” process to investing: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/.

And, lastly, you can read about my stock market activities here: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/stock-market-activities

I wish you much finance and investing success for 2024 (and beyond!).

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #mindfulness #peace #joy #positivethinking #balance #finance #stocks #investing #stockmarket #bonds #bondmarket

☆°▪︎ CHASING THE WAVES (OF THE L.A. HAZE) ▪︎°☆

I

remember

.

t

h

e

.

days . . .

.

.

.

when

I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

~ I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

o

f

the

swirling

L.A.

haze . . .

.

.

.

~ I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

o

f

the

swirling

L.A.

haze . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

came

back

again . . .

.

.

.

I

came

back

again . . .

.

.

.

I

came

back

again . . .

.

.

.

I

came

back

again . . .

.

.

.

play,

after

play,

after

play . . .

.

.

.

page,

after

page,

after

page . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

escape,

after

escape,

after

escape . . .

.

.

.

A

face . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

.

a

.

gaze . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

.

a

.

name . . .

.

.

.

A

face . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

.

a

.

gaze . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

.

a

.

name . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

another . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

another . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

another . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

another . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

then

another . . .

.

.

.

I

came

back

again . . .

.

.

.

I

came

back

again . .

.

.

I

came

back

again . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

again . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

again . . .

.

.

.

I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

o

f

the

swirling

L.A.

haze . . .

.

.

.

~ I

chased

wave,

after

wave,

after

wave . . .

.

.

.

o

f

the

swirling

L.A.

haze . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

came

back

again.

Reflection:

I wrote this poem about a recent visit to Los Angeles where the “vibe” I observed wasn’t anything close to what it was like on previous occasions – years ago. Several of my favorite places were no longer there – many of which were vacant. On the one hand, I was very thankful I got to experience as much of it as I did over the years and had a wonderful time doing it. On the other hand, I was disappointed that all of that vibrant energy seemed to fade and felt a bit sad for the people of today that would never experience it or know what all of that was like.

So, the primary message of this poem is to participate in (and make the most out of) experiences as they unfold in life before they pass. I’ve had several experiences like that in my life and am happy I took the time to experience them while they were new, vibrant, and exhilarating. And I encourage you to do the same because I would never trade those memories.

☆°▪︎ LONE SUMMER ROAD (WITH NOWHERE TO GO) ▪︎°☆

Summer

.

slows

.

a

n

d

.

comes

.

t

o

.

a

.

close . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

I’m

.

alone

.

o

n

.

the

.

road

.

w

i

t

h

.

nowhere

.

t

o

.

go . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I’m

alone

.

o

n

.

the

.

road

.

w

i

t

h

.

nowhere

.

t

o

.

go . . .

.

.

.

now

.

t

h

a

t

.

summer

.

slows

.

a

n

d

.

comes

.

t

o

.

a

.

close . . .

.

.

.

Summer

.

slows

.

a

n

d

.

comes

.

t

o

.

a

.

close . . .

.

.

.

Summer

.

slows

.

a

n

d

.

comes

.

t

o

.

a

.

close . . .

.

.

.

Summer

.

slows

.

a

n

d

.

comes

.

t

o

.

a

.

close . . .

.

.

.

along

.

w

i

t

h

.

all

.

o

f

.

those

.

places

.

w

e

.

used

.

t

o

.

go . . .

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

o

f

.

those

smiling

.

places

.

w

e

.

used

.

t

o

.

go . . .

.

.

.

t

o

blow

.

n

e

w

.

highs

.

out

.

o

f

.

old

.

lows . . .

.

.

.

 ~ we

would

blow

.

n

e

w

.

highs

.

out

.

o

f

.

old

.

lows . . .

.

.

.

i

n

those

.

places

.

w

e

.

used

.

t

o

.

go . . .

.

.

.

We

.

would

.

blow . . .

.

.

.

We

.

would

.

blow . . .

.

.

.

We

.

would

.

blow

.

t

h

e

.

entire

.

show

.

o

f

.

gold,

.

a

n

d

.

glimmer,

.

a

n

d

.

glow . . .

.

.

.

 ~ we

.

would

.

blow

.

t

h

e

.

entire

.

load,

before

.

summer

.

slowed

.

a

n

d

.

came

.

t

o

.

a

.

close . . .

.

.

.

s

o

I’m

.

n

o

w

.

alone

.

o

n

.

the

.

road . . .

.

.

.

 ~ yes,

I’m

.

alone

.

o

n

.

the

.

road

.

w

i

t

h

.

nowhere

.

t

o

.

go.

Reflection: This is a personal struggle-themed poem in which the contemplator looks back on a recent experience binge filled with fun, excitement, and adventure. When the experience comes to a screeching halt, the contemplator finds himself/herself alone, poor, and empty – looking at a future that looks pretty dim. I was playing the wonderful song “Los Angeles” by Dougie Pool and the poem pretty much wrote itself from that (while playing the song repeatedly on low volume to create the “moodset” for the poem) and was written fairly quickly – like an hour or less. If you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.

☆°▪︎ BETTER DAYS (THAN TODAY) ▪︎°☆

Today,

I

turned

back

.

t

h

e

.

age

.

o

f

.

days . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

turned

back

.

t

h

e

.

age

.

o

f

.

days . . .

.

.

.

t

o

the

page

where

summers

never

fade . . .

.

.

.

 ~ to

.

t

h

e

.

page

where

everything

.

w

a

s

.

fresh

.

a

n

d

.

new . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

still

bloomed

.

i

n

.

our

youth . . .

.

.

.

 ~ everything

.

w

a

s

.

fresh

.

a

n

d

.

new . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

still

bloomed

.

i

n

.

our

youth . . .

.

.

.

o

n

the

page

where

summers

never

fade . . .

.

.

.

 ~ on

.

t

h

e

.

page

where

summers

never

fade . . .

.

.

.

The

.

j

o

y

.

inside

r~e~a~c~h~e~d

into

the

skies,

when

I

saw

.

t

h

e

.

smile

within

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes . . .

.

.

.

 ~ I

saw

.

t

h

e

.

smile

within

.

y

o

u

r

.

eyes,

dancing

.

w

i

t

h

.

mine . . .

.

.

.

It

danced

with

mine . . .

.

.

.

It

danced

with

mine . . .

.

.

.

It

danced

with

mine . . .

.

.

.

all

hours

.

o

f

.

the

daytime . . .

.

.

.

 ~ all

hours

.

o

f

.

the

daytime,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

into

.

t

h

e

.

night . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

the

.

j

o

y

.

inside

r~e~a~c~h~e~d

into

the

skies,

when

yours

touched

mine . . .

.

.

.

 ~ when

yours

touched

mine . . .

.

.

.

f

o

r

that

moment

.

i

n

.

time . . .

.

.

.

 ~ a

moment

.

i

n

.

time,

cherished

.

a

n

d

.

saved

.

f

o

r

.

all

future

days . . .

.

.

.

 ~ for

all

future

days . . .

.

.

.

i

f

only

.

t

o

.

say . . .

.

.

.

we

had

better

days,

where

summers

never

fade . . .

.

.

.

We

had

better

days . . .

.

.

.

We

had

better

days . . .

.

.

.

We

had

better

days . . .

.

.

.

than

today.

Reflection: This poem is largely associated with the melancholy reflection on a present-day, fading romance that was once so vibrant in the days of youth. The sufferer ponders what might have changed over the years and whether anything could possibly bring things back – but finds some comfort in the memory that there were better days and in the hope that tomorrow might be better than today.

I wrote most of this poem by listening to the wonderful song “I’ll Be Over You” by Toto which I played in the background to create the “moodset” for the poem and inspire the writing of the poem. So, if you listen to the song at low volume while reading this poem, you might better get the “feel” of it.


☆°▪︎ BLIND IN THE DAYLIGHT (THE WHYS, WHENS, AND WHYS) ▪︎°☆

Movement

.

i

s

.

tight

all

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

.

.

.

the

mind

.

i

s

.

occupied . . .

.

.

.

with

all

.

o

f

.

the

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

 ~ the

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

occupy

.

m

y

.

mind . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

make

.

m

y

.

movement

tight . . .

.

.

.

They

occupy

.

m

y

.

mind . . .

.

.

.

They

occupy

.

m

y

.

mind . . .

.

.

.

They

occupy

.

m

y

.

mind . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

make

.

m

y

.

movement

tight . . .

.

.

.

The

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

The

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

The

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

o

f

life . . .

.

.

.

like

w~h~e~n:

.

.

.

 ~ when

did

time

become

.

s

o

.

short,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

miles

.

s

o

.

wide . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

when

did

.

t

h

e

.

valleys

become

.

s

o

.

deep,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

mountains

.

s

o

.

high . . .

.

.

.

The

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

The

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

o

f

life . . .

.

.

.

like

w~h~y:

.

.

.

 ~ why

do

eyes

become

.

s

o

.

blind

.

i

n

.

the

daylight . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

why

do

.

w

e

.

mine

every

paradise

.

w

i

t

h

.

lies . . .

.

.

.

 ~ we

mine

every

paradise

.

w

i

t

h

.

lies . . .

.

.

.

a

n

d

move

.

o

u

r

.

battle

lines

.

s

o

.

far

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

fight . . .

.

.

.

 ~ we

move

.

o

u

r

.

battle

lines

.

s

o

.

far

.

f

r

o

m

.

the

fight . . .

.

.

.

when

time

becomes

short,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

miles

wide . . .

.

.

.

when

valleys

become

deep,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

the

mountains

high . . .

.

.

.

when

eyes

become

blind

.

i

n

.

the

daylight,

.

.

a

n

d

.

.

every

paradise

.

i

s

.

mined

.

w

i

t

h

.

lies . . .

.

.

.

Movement

.

i

s

.

tight

all

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

.

.

.

 ~ all

.

t

h

e

.

while . . .

.

.

.

the

mind

.

i

s

.

occupied . . .

.

.

.

with

all

.

o

f

.

the

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

 ~ the

whys,

.

a

n

d

.

whens,

.

a

n

d

.

whys . . .

.

.

.

o

f

life.

Reflection: This is a reflective poem.