Voice
A poetic response to "The Sounds of the Hollyhocks"

The stalky lean flowers sitting on the window sill
The more I look the more intrigued I get.
As I sit on the edge of my bed I hear voices
Singing tunes sweet as honey
They speak a different language
But I can understand it

They are conveying a message
In brisk melodies
Calming my mind and lowering my heartbeat
The memories are coming back
Everything that I tried so hard to get rid of

The sound of the hollyhocks sweet like honey
I miss that sound
I will have to wait till next season when they bloom again

The Gentleman's Verdict

Choice

Being put on the spot
Thoughts and emotions rushing through your head
Heart beating faster
Adrenaline flowing

What should I do?
Save yourself or save others
Go down with the ship
Or abandon it

The choice is yours
But first let us drink

     This weekend I went camping at Kawkawa Lake in Hope with my church youth group. On the second night we watched the movie Edge of Tomorrow as a group. In the movie Major Cage (Tom Cruise) the head media relations officer for the United States Army gets dropped into the frontline of combat against aliens called Mimics. Cage is killed within minutes of combat but gets stuck in a time loop. He relives each day over and over again when he is killed. With the help of a female special forces soldier named Rita (Emily Blunt) Cage trains himself to fight off the aliens. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Opinion: The first 20-30 minutes of the movie is very slow. Cage is not introduced well and when he gets stuck in the time loop things become very repetitive. But I give this movie 4/5 stars because of the superior acting of Tom Cruise. He was a perfect fit for this role. He pulled of a cowardly officer with no combat training. His height and slim build also added to the effect of a new recruit. The chemistry between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt was easy for the eye. Not much physical or verbal acts of love but it was obvious that they had a romantic connection. The many plot endings of this movie made it interesting and never boring. I suggest that anyone who has not seen this movie yet should see it. 

Rain

They cannot endure it any farther

Dismal weather is soon to come 

Miniature explosions on the pavement

The irregular drumbeats on my roof

It has started

Gazing into the ash grey sky

Organized legions marching swiftly 

Ignoring your own presence

Moisturizing the roots of history

The birds are hiding in the safety of the trees

All the plants have wilted away

Lifeless

In the horizon a golden beacon

The puddles will dry up soon

Peppermint Candy

A small parcel with big surprises

Used to disguise the fumes of the past

So abundant but hard to come by

Stimulates your senses

Sound, Sight, Touch, Smell, Taste

Unravelling the clear synthetic wrapper 

Revealing the red and white pattern 

Polished and perfectly shaped

But sticks like glue when dampened

Has a seductive odour

And packs a toxic sweetness

The aftertaste oh so spicy

Freshening your breath

But soon melts and is forgotten

The sensation only to be found in another 

Peppermint Candy