Literary Impulse & Paper Poetry “Eudaimonia” Prompt Submission”

Eudaimonia Paradise

Prompt response

Photo: James G. Brennan.

You did ask; don’t stop me if I’m repeating myself,
some will know, many more will not of this Eudaimonia
I call mine, not the writing one, it’s already been covered.

Many write about love as their central theme
I do not, so here I go again, in a rearranged fashion,
please don’t feel the need to verbally bash me around my grateful head.

Then again, I may find a particular pleasure in this kind of pain?

1970, smog-filled Birmingham, England,
lying on the settee, oh sorry, couch, or is it sofa?
Struggling to get air into those five years young asthmatic lungs
focussing on the T.V. screen to rid my sight of wretched dust particles
dancing without a care in streaming sunlight,
cloudy days were better, out of sight out of mind.

I would look forward to advertisements between afternoon programs, psychosomatic paradise displayed upon the screen,
“Bounty” coconut covered in chocolate bars eaten by a pretty lady
swinging under a coconut tree, blond hair flowing,
beautiful aqua water lapping on the shore
gave me a pleasant minute reprieve from painful lungs.

This will be my happiness, this will be my life goal
this will be the end to my asthmatic lungs.

So the journey began, never leaving my mind
this paradise goal of mine, pulling me through thick and thin
no matter how far away it seemed to be.

Sun, sea, sand, Coconut trees,
swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and beach walks.
Walking through the jungle exploring caves,
motorbiking around the island.

Exotic fruits and spicy foods joined in the call
to make the dreams real of the young asthmatic me.
Eventually, through sheer determination, I had made my home in
Eudaimonia.

James G Brennan 2021.

Thank you, Suntonu Bhadra and Paper Poetry team. Thank you, Priyanka Srivastava and the Literary Impulse team for the joint prompt, Eudaimonia.

I gracefully request Titans! R Tsambounieri Talarantas Jeff Langley Neha Sandhir S Pablo Pereyra Susannah MacKinnie John O'Neill, to join in should you feel inclined, there’s a lovely prize you know; tempted? Here is the original post to check out my claim. Thank you for your time and patience.

What does Eudaemonia mean to you?

Thank you as always Suntonu Bhadra and the Paper Poetry team for giving my words a platform. 🙏🙏🙏 thank you all for reading and your precious time. Always. J. 🙏✨

Image courtesy: Literary Impulse.