I'm back from Africa :) for less than a week

Hi friends,

After 5 weeks i've returned home safe and sound from the Republic of Guinea. It is however a brief rest bite, as I return to Guinea again on Sunday for another 3 week project. 

Its been yet another eye opening and purely awe inspiring experience to a place where smiles are worth their weight in gold, and friendship is far more than superficial, its a life long bond of mutual respect. 

I've felt the warm breath of the sun caress my soul as I've sat motionless looking across a never ending vista into a firey heart. I've engaged in work tasks in areas owned by nature and its guardians, where mans presence either goes un-noticed or can be deemed a complication by its indigenous population of both flora and fauna. I've walked through utopia and have been blessed with sights I will take to my grave and in contrast I've been exposed to a vast array of natures demons that may dictate the length of your life!!!

So yet again I shall bid you all farewell for another month. I've now got to remove myself from the internet and dedicate my remaining time to extensive planning, logistics and preparations before my boarding gate is called.. 

Be safe everyone and I will check out your blogs when I return in March x 

West Africa here I come!!!

Hi friends and readers,

In the past couple of months my life has accelerated at warp speed proportions which has resulted in me being very quiet in Blogland. 2012 is already beginning to look pretty epic, and on Sunday I fly out to work in West Africa for a month. I'll be working in a very remote location, so internet connection will be very limited and blogging non existent. I will be continuing to return to Africa and the UK during 2012, so I will endeavour to read blogs as soon as I can. I will catch you all on the other side as soon as the great internet signals in the sky converge on an area where my laptop is residing.

I wish everyone best wishes for 2012.. keep the creative juices flowing....

♥ Peace, Love and Harmony ♥

Right let the packing commence :)) x

Beneath the Scars



Important: I like to listen to the views of my readers to enhance my creativity (see comments below). So to try and illustrate the depth of the poem I modified my face using photoshop (incorporating the scar from an old mountain bike injury).



                                                What do you see?

                                                            Skin or disfigurement

                                                               Are you unsure?

                                                               Yet to make judgement

                                                               Reach out your touch,

                                                               What do you feel?

                                                               Tell me your thoughts

                                                               What do they reveal?

                                                               Listen to your heart

                                                               What does it say?

                                                               Does it tell you to run?

                                                               Or tell you to stay?

                                                               Show your true colours

                                                               Tell me no lies

                                                               No more blank canvas

                                                               I’d rather goodbyes

                                                               For beneath this scar

                                                               I continue to live

                                                               Look beyond my surface

                                                               I've so much to give

I hope you like my poem, i' m sure many will relate to its underlying deeper meaning.

Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder....... the question is ...... What do you see ?????? 

                      ♦    ♦    ♦    ♠    ♠    ♠    ♠    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♣    ♣    ♣    ♣    ♦    ♦    ♦    ♦

The scar on my face above was taken from this photograph. The picture was taken in 2006, a couple of weeks after having surgery to repair a snapped radius bone; the result of a nasty mountain bike crash. Lets just say, it healed beautifully and i'm as good as new :) 

Additional information since my original post

Many thanks Fiona for the constructive criticism and helping me enhance my creative edge. Its good to listen. Your words are wise, you are correct, the scar on the arm can be covered and masked unlike those that are permanently visible. When I started this blog i promised myself to use or creatively modify my own pictures. I opted to change my profile picture using photoshop to add facial imperfections. I hope it doesnt offend anyone, its purely to highlight surface vs deep beauty.. Think past what is visible, for true warmth radiates from the core.. Thanks. Paul x