Thinking about Paradise

One glorious warm summer’s evening
sitting on the steps of Verona’s Coliseum
watching Verdi’s La forza del destino
swifts darting about, here and there
hundreds of glittering candlelights
huddling close to my wife and daughter
a birthday celebration in style

Now imagine sitting in the shade
reading a book
by a lovely pool in Garda
sipping ice-cold lager
on a hot summer’s day
one person swimming in the pool

Wow, this is the life.

bugger the unrelenting stresses of work
running faster and faster on the daily treadmill
more and more work and paperwork forced us by the NHS,
moving its goalposts every year
stressed out for years with litigation by a few angry patients
feeling very anxious about making another mistake
how can anyone work properly under such duress

retirement 6 months later
at Christmas

Paradise on Earth.