Grace Nichols, born in Guyana but a resident of Britain since 1977, wrote the poem 'Island Man' 'for a Caribbean island man in London who still wakes up to the sound of the sea' (her own words). It is a poem of contrasts based on the two places that the man has known as home and is set as he is waking up in London.
The first stanza of five lines tells us that it is morning and that the man hears the sounds of the island 'in his head' as he wakes up. These are the sounds of nature, of the sea: 'blue surf' and waves 'breaking and wombing'. Wombing is an unusual verb used by Shakespeare to mean 'enclosing'; it is the final word of the first stanza but leads through enjambment to the 'wild seabirds' in the first line of the second stanza, as if the sea is about to give birth to the birds. In stanza two, which is six lines long, Nichols continues the theme of dreaming about the island as the fisherman set out to sea and the sun rises 'defiantly' (in contrast to London weather, of course). The images are again based in nature, and the colours in these initial stanzas are rich and beautiful: 'blue surf' and 'his small emerald island'.
Stanza two ends, however, with the phrase that tells us how the man has to emerge from his dream 'groggily groggily'; these words set to one side to emphasise that the dream has ended and a different setting is being introduced. The repetition of 'groggily' also serves to portray the idea that this is a reluctant, slow awakening. The third stanza consists of four lines, repeating the phrase 'comes back' from the end of the preceding stanza. Nichols tells us here that he comes back to 'sands', but as we continue to the next line we realise that these are metaphorical sands 'of a grey metallic soar'. The natural images change to man-made ones, and the beauty of the island's colours has switched to grey. The sounds of the sea have now turned into those of London traffic, with a 'surge of wheels' and a 'roar' on the North Circular road; the use of the adjective 'dull' to describe the road echoes the greyness two lines earlier. The 'surge of wheels' in line fourteen is pushed to one side as was the phrase 'groggily groggily', almost as though the man is trying to push the sounds of London out of his head.
Enjambment is again used to connect to the fourth stanza which opens with the phrase 'muffling muffling', this time echoing the repetition of 'groggily groggily' and suggesting once again that there is a struggle to shut out one set of sounds in favour of another. Nichols uses the metaphor 'crumpled pillow waves' to link the ideas here back to the sounds and images of the sea at the beginning of the poem. The fact that the man 'heaves' himself out of bed gives the impression that he is unwilling to leave his dream of the Caribbean Island and face the reality of 'Another London day', the final line of the poem which is set apart from the previous stanza.
The lack of punctuation in the poem allows the lines and stanzas to flow freely, underlining the image of the sea. The irregular lengths of both lines and stanzas form a visual pattern reminiscent of the ebb and flow of the tide on the shore. Rhyme is also irregular here, with just one or two rhyming words dotted here and there such as 'soar' and roar', perhaps to give a natural feel. Alliteration with soft 's' sounds features in the images of the island: 'sound of blue surf', 'sun surfacing'. We can find assonance in the final stanza, in the phrases 'muffling/his crumpled pillow...' and the final 'Another London day'.
'Island Man' is just nineteen lines in length, but Grace Nichols succeeds in presenting us with a concise poem that conjures up vividly the idea of a man who has left his native island in the hope of a better life in one of the world's great capital cities but finds himself longing for the simplicity and beautiful surroundings of the island of his birth.


The hero's journey is a powerful storytelling device that has been used for centuries to tell tales of personal growth, transformation, and overcoming adversity. But did you know that the steps of the hero's journey can also be applied to the process of recovery from addiction?
👣 Step 1: The Call to Adventure
In the hero's journey, the call to adventure is the moment when the hero is called upon to embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. Similarly, in the journey of recovery, the call to adventure is the moment when an individual realizes that they have a problem with addiction and need to seek help.
🛡 Step 2: Refusal of the Call
Often in the hero's journey, the hero initially refuses the call to adventure out of fear or a sense of inadequacy. In addiction recovery, this refusal of the call can manifest as denial or resistance to the idea of seeking help.
🌟 Step 3: Meeting the Mentor
The hero's journey often includes a meeting with a wise mentor who helps the hero on their journey. In recovery, this mentor can take many forms, such as a sponsor, a therapist, or a support group.
💥 Step 4: Crossing the Threshold
In the hero's journey, crossing the threshold is the moment when the hero leaves their familiar world behind and enters a new and unfamiliar realm. In recovery, this can be the moment when an individual enters a treatment program or takes their first steps towards sobriety.
🗝 Step 5: Tests, Allies, and Enemies
During the hero's journey, the hero encounters tests, allies, and enemies that help shape their character and prepare them for the final battle. In addiction recovery, tests can take many forms, such as resisting temptation, navigating difficult relationships, and dealing with cravings.
🧘 Step 6: The Ordeal
The ordeal is the moment of greatest challenge in the hero's journey, where the hero faces their greatest fear and overcomes it. In recovery, the ordeal can be the moment of relapse, where an individual faces the temptation to use again and must summon the strength to resist.
🌅 Step 7: The Reward
The reward is the moment when the hero emerges from their journey transformed and renewed. In recovery, the reward can be the experience of living a sober and fulfilling life, free from the grip of addiction.
💪 Step 8: The Road Back
In the hero's journey, the road back is the journey home, where the hero brings their newfound wisdom and transformation back to the familiar world. In recovery, the road back can be the process of re-entering society and learning to live a sober life in the context of everyday challenges.
🏆 Step 9: The Return with the Elixir
The return with the elixir is the final step of the hero's journey, where the hero returns home with the wisdom and transformation they have gained on their journey. In recovery, the return with the elixir can be the experience of helping others who are struggling with addiction, sharing one's own story of transformation and offering hope and support.
👉 By understanding the similarities between the hero's journey and the journey of recovery from addiction, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the power of storytelling to inspire personal growth and transformation. #Inspiration #AddictionRecovery 🙌


CHECK OUT our GUEST of the WEEK 🙂
John Lanza– Author & Chief Mammal of The Money Mammals
John Lanza is the Chief Mammal of The Money Mammals and author of the new book for parents, The Art of Allowance: A Short, Practical Guide to Raising Money-Smart, Money-Empowered Kids. A pioneer in youth money-smarts, John created the original Money Mammals DVD and has written three children’s picture books to help kids learn to “Share & Save & Spend Smart.” He is recognized nationally as a youth financial literacy expert and the Money Mammals have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The LA Times.
KIDS: 2 Girls ages 13 & 15
Listen to the Podcast HERE!
Connect with John HERE!


Essay authors ‘ are maybe not the same. You’ll find distinct kinds of folks who produce, plus they need to be hired depending on their need. This job demands a lot of research & a lot of the time you affordable papers have to do it all day and hours on end. Some people are able to compose well in an hourbut for others, even if they write one essay every day for per month, then it might take a year to complete.
You might have noticed that college essay authors tend to be hired through recommendations. In case your buddies and other acquaintances have employed authors, then there’s a possibility that they are able to advise that you in their mind as well. They’re also able to recommend you to unique companies or other professionals in your own field, or sometimes the people can guide you into the perfect faculty to further your livelihood. This is a rather excellent means to begin your own career.
A great benefit of this is the fact that you simply receive the benefit of word of mouth advertisements. In case other men and women who have hired authors are advocating you, you can always say thanks. Of course should individuals who hire writers can urge you, it may lead to job chances for you too. In addition, it makes it possible for you to land interviews using plenty of different businesses.
You’ll find a number of diverse sorts of authors, also you will find some regions that lots of writers excel inside. These are the areas of writing that they adore performing. As an instance, some people love writing poems and have the ability to set their emotions into poetry.
This kind of writing can be exceedingly touching and expressive, and certainly will get you plenty of consideration. This can be why these writers are hunted soon after. It could possibly be a good idea to discuss with and determine what kind of authors your friends and family are all hiring.
Most faculty essay authors have a good deal of experience in writing. They’ve written a lot of essays and stories, plus so they know just how to hone their knowledge to receive superior grades. That really is because they have been composing for years, and now they’re on the lookout for brand new tasks or looking for a school.
They may additionally have obtained some writing lessons, however their career options are limited by how many instruction classes they can take. As they have been creating so longthey know that the composing skills that they have to have for their tasks.


BATTLE OF THE ORANGES
Each year in the days preceding Fat Tuesday, townspeople of Ivrea divide up into nine different squads, dressed in battle attire, and over the course of the next three days engage in fearless orange battles, attempting to “kill” the other teams.
The origins of this event are tied to a tale where an evil marquis, who attempted to rape a young woman in the town, was instead decapitated by the woman. In the aftermath of his death, the townspeople stormed his palace in revolt. It is this revolt, which is symbolized by the Battle of the Oranges every year and the marquis slayer, the Mugnaia, appears in the first act and opens the festival.


Wang Y, Asaka T:
Muscle synergies involved in shifts of the center of pressure while standing on a narrow support.
Fukushima J, Asaka T, Fukushima K:
Postural changes during eye-head movements.
Saito H, Asaka T, Fukushima J, Takeda N:
Effects on Anticipatory Postural Adjustments by Repetition of the Tiptoe Movement.
Fukushima J, Kasahara S, Asaka T, Saito H:
Behavioral Findings during Recovery after Experimental Stroke in Monkeys -Assessment with Modified Hand Performance Test-.
Fukushima J, Asaka T, Ikeda N, Ito Y:
Postural Control during Downward Head Movements in Young Subjects.
Wang Y, Asaka T, Zatsiorsky VM, Latash ML:
Muscle synergies during voluntary body sway: combining across-trials and within-a-trial analyses.