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the off-grid life.

untied from the shackles of strife,

2017, the modern existence,

getting on the property ladder, how does anyone have a chance?
20, 25 or 30, forced to work to pay every bill,

going to work all hours, struggling to find a way, a life against our will,

needing the money from any form of work, mostly unprogressive, unhappy 
life passing by, frustrating, anger, decreasing self-worth, causing individuals to be snappy

unfulfilled, potentials are not met, working a job all day, unable to progress,

money is the key factor, for bills to be met, let me digress.

often they still aren't causing pain and suffering, stress and depression,

homelessness is rife through the country, a feeling of regression,

a feeling of being stuck, how to retrain and improve your careers?
speak to friends or family and the same conversation, doubts, and fears
if only another option was available,

one that was accepted and not just for the vulnerable,

the homeless, the people with nothing,

but how is this existence different? it is truly crushing,

once you can see that your life is consumed with working for money,

the soul has passed, your energy too, it can get so hard it's not even funny,

but who understands? in the face of consumerism, higher purchase, loans, and debt,

who is living a life, truly satisfied, and their dreams are met?

Not all people living off-grid are rich in cash!
but they aim for other needs; security in food & energy, it's worth a bash,

a growing transition for many people too,

it's not just for the hippies, the spiritual, it's for people like me and you,

think about it for a moment or two...

who would you be without your car, house and your possessions?
is that person you portray the real you? or do you blend in so people don't ask questions?
are you honest with your family and friends?

or do you sit behind a desk wishing it would end?
there is a wealth of knowledge of old traditions,

from a time when they lived without these conditions,

the conditions of social media, advertising, marketing ads or vlogs

when screen time didn't consume every waking hour, and children were fascinated with tadpoles transforming into frogs.

hours spent outside, climbing trees, playing at the park,

not allowed home unless it was tea time or had gotten dark.

a shift is happening, ecotherapy, wild schooling, bushcraft, and hikes,

forest schooling, homeschooling, people walking and out on their bikes,

scientists are noticing the effects on children's behaviors, reduced health issues,

ADHD,  also a boost in self-awareness, positivity, confidence and mental health issues

is it easier to sit a child down to hours in front of the tv, or ipad?

than it is to spend a few hours playing down the park with dad?

or baking a cake with mum, the importance of these skills are being misplaced,

in this consumerism world, with employees a number, in a life so fast-paced.

Off-grid living, the communities hidden away,

all they want is a parcel of land to look after their needs, but hey,

that's not possible, 'cause where will the local council get their tax,

with the community, living off the land, growing food and chopping wood with an axe,

the need and usage of government-owned services would become minute,

living simply and within your skills of the land, renewables used, an abundance of fruit,

food preserved in many forms, jams and chutneys, frozen meat,

enough food to last year-round to survive through winter, or in the heat,

the food produced off the land, tending the garden, and grown for nutrition,

the most important for life and health also said to aid in remission.

off grid homesteaders, don't need to take the flack,

with health as the focus, working outdoors to provide, lowering the need for prozac,
comments from shallow minded people need not be said,

the power of community, working together, I want to spread,

to include children in the transition, of conserving nature and our wildlife,

the tranquil setting amongst the seasons, watching the stars, that's my type of nightlife.

cabin window seat

so icy and cold outside

hot chock-lit warms me

copyright 2013

Deep oceans dwelt in her soft cadenced
breathing, and the song of the seagull
strained in her hair, and her eyes had the hues
of the sunset as they sank in the distance
in hazel-brown skies.

She came unexpected, entangled in weeds,
caught in the net of a sad-eyed fisherman,
and her song had the call of the ocean,
and the call of the wave, and was heard

by all creatures that live in the deep:
the fisherman's nets now are crowded galore!
Bass, salmon, and lobster, bewitched by the song
of the girl who came from the sea!

They made love in his cabin, off the west coast
of Ire, the girl from the ocean and the sad-eyed
fisherman. And her sighs were like magic,
like the surf on the beach, and her moans were
like breakers that broke on the cliffs of his heart.

He was caught in the foam of her spell-binding
songs, caught in the strands of her sand-colored
hair, caught in the breeze of her lips, and the fish

in her mouth, as they loved in his cabin off the west
coast of Ire, and the tide of the ocean, and the wind
of the sea, and the sighs of the girl stole right
into his heart.

Now the cabin lies empty, struck by the wind,
and the waves of the ocean, and the tides
of the sea, and a song that bewitches

can be heard in the distance, in hazel-brown
skies, which glow like the eyes of the girl
who came from the sea.

(c) Copyright Jim Valero, 2012.