Truthful, humorous and insightful poetry to uplift and brighten your day. Hosted and written by Martin Strasmore. The resounding gongs, played by Kassandra Strasmore, offer an experience of peace and tranquility. Good poetry can open up the mind and heart to new ways of seeing the world, accepting difficulties and embracing opportunities for transformation. Each episode is intended to support and uplift the world and to renew our respect for each other and nature.
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I walked St Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose, Scotland to Holy Island in Northumberland in June and July 2026 this is my 3rd experience doing this. Previously I walked on the Franciscan Way and the Camino de Santiago. St Cuthbert lived around 650AD, he preferred solitude and walking in nature, but when he was elected a bishop this is the way he walked, to follow his calling. These poems capture my…
This is a continuation of Episode 3. In 2018 I walked on the Israel national Trail also known as the Schwill, which means the path. The poems in this episode describe the second half of my walk with the group. I finally left the group at Tel Aviv and returned back to the USA. While I understand why Israel attacked terrorists in Gaza and now Lebanon, I am truly disappointed and disgusted with the…
In 2018 I walked on part of the Israel National Trail, known as the Schwill, which starts in the Negev Desert and ends on the northern border with Lebanon. I join a group called Walk about love, intended to encourage Jews and Arabs. Israelis and Palestinians to walk together. I had a beautiful experience of interaction with the land of the Bible and the people of Israel. This is how Israel was…
At this time, with war and destruction around the globe and innocent human beings dying pointlessly, what can I do? The best thing I can do for my and your sanity, is to focus on gratitude and what brings us joy, our common humanity and the consciousness in everyone and everything. No excuses this is about the spirit! Support the show
I just completed a 6 day kayaking expedition with a small group into 10,000 islands in SW Florida. Even though I have done a lot of river kayaking, this was my first experience of having to carry all our food, water and equipment across open water in rough seas and windy conditions. we learned how to pack the kayaks: A for Access, B for Balance and C for Compression. I hope these poems give you an…
I picked up my journals of 2017 and 2020 and I found some poems that really resonate with me today. Just a brief explanation I have been following a path of yoga called Siddha Yoga with our teacher Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, for many years. And on January 1st each year she gives us a message, "A SWEET SURPRISE", something to think about for the year and that is how this episode will begin. The…
In August 2025 my wife, daughter & Son-in-law drove and lived in an RV as we travelled around iceland for 10 days - now hear what we experienced! You can SEE some of what we saw on my website, and more completely in my book available as a pdf or printed at https://www.blurb.com/b/12547137-iceland-travelling-the-ring-road Support the show
These poems give a small flavor of our 3 week journey through Japan, which followed my walk on the Kumano Kodo. In my photo book, Exploring Japan, the themes are Transportation, Food, Gardens, Shrines and Temples and unique cultural experiences like Sumo wrestling, Taiko drumming, a zen monk, making Mochi and Mulberry paper. These poems, some in the form of WAKAs, follow these themes. Support the…
After 26 hours of travel and a nights rest my pilgrimage begins. The Kumano Kodō is made up of multiple pilgrimage routes, and my first day is at the end of the Kiiji route, then I continue and in six days complete the Nakahechi route. Most of these poems start in the Japanese form of Waka or Tanka. With a loose 5 line structure of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables . The music you hear is a duet of Japanese…
As I am about to leave to walk in Japan on the Kumano Kodo, I will leave Florida and the US and enter a different time zone in many ways. This will be a pilgrimage into another culture, into walking time when everything slows down and awareness of the moment takes hold. Meanwhile on my training walks I find refreshing moments. The final poems are from my book Step by Step about my Camino walk in…