poem
Friend (19) – The Four Gentlemen
Plum Flower
My Friend, there is a nation who feels proud of you. Your unyielding nature makes you look even emaciated. But lanky is not your name. You are not afraid of the cold winter, but you are the first to bloom in spring. The first gentlemen standing on the land dancing fearlessly with spring and a smiling gentleman, I called.
Chrysanthemum
My Friend, you do not mind lying next to the grave, and you do not mind associating with strangers soaking up in holy bath. But you mind only if fall brings you the beauty of grief or sorrows. With your haughty attitude in autumn, I do not ask for much. As maple leaves died out all over the floor just for your tender face.
Bamboo
My Friend, your elegant, free and easy attitude whirling in the wind, bring a pause to my reminiscent for others. But you are so modest, you do not forbid birds and landscape rivals with you on a manuscript and you give way to a painter’s inspiration.
Orchid
My Friend, you are infamous. You uphold the title of a National Flower and people sing so well of your elegant glory. What else do you lack of? Your distinctiveness, wholesome and noble sentiments put you high up to the zenith. Infact, with your independent personality, praises are to you only a title, but a pursuit in the eyes of others.
5) Life – Kachang Puteh Man
I met a Kachang Puteh man outside Peace Centre along the main street. “Kachang” in Malay means Bean and “Puteh” denotes color White, on the whole it means White Beans.
Kachang Puteh man was an immigrant who came from India during the 50s and 60s. They are popular among the kids, cinema or amusement park patrons.
Life is a start from scratch. They are self-reliance and sell beans for a living. Besides selling beans and nuts, tidbits like prawn crackers, sweet candies are what they can offer too.
The beans varieties were mostly roasted, though some were steamed (like the chicks beans). All beans in containers are neatly laid on the Kachang Puteh cart. The kachang are wrapped with thin paper folded in a cone-up shape. In those days, it cost $0.05cents per cone but now I have to pay $1.00 for a cone!
Personally, I have a penchant for the roasted variety which comes coated with a layer of sugar, though too much of it may cost the Tooth Fairy some works!
Kachang Puteh man usually lodged their carts outside cinemas or amusement parks. In those days, cinemas and amusement parks are standalone buildings and it is easy to push the cart around and start a business. Unlike now, cinemas are mostly “built-Ins” and run by building’s management. Renting a ‘peanut’ corner in a building will be costly and affects the Kachang Puteh Man’s income. Moreover, no outside foods are allowed in the cinemas other than those bought from the cinema’s vendors.
However, Kachang Puteh man are vanishing soon, we don’t see them around more than often, even in our country’s Little India these days. If you happened to see one, do stop by and patronize, as they may fad off soon. Now you see it, now you don’t…. In times to come, it does not only leave behind a taste of nostalgia but also the shadow behind our Mr Kachang Puteh man.
7) Chrysanthemum Song / 菊花之歌
Is just another day
People rolling on the street
Wheels chasing each other
This is the moment we meet
You are in a cart along the city
When I look into your eyes
Let me have a chance to call out your name
Miss Chrysanthemum
You are a whispering angel
Calling my name in the dust
You are a true angel
And I am a true follower
By your side
I rather be a charming face
Is just another day
People walking on the grass
Wind chasing each other
This is the time we greet
You are the guardian of the graveyard
When I look into your eyes
Let me have a chance to call out your name
Miss Chrysanthemum
You are a humming angel
Calling my name in the garden
You are a true singer
I am a true prayer
By your side
But I rather be a faithful hand
Friend (15) – Silent night
Moment in the dead of night, my friend quietly visited me. He brings with him the crystal cold dew with a basketful of blinking stars light.
His name is called “Silent Night”. It’s tough for one to extricate from his beautiful flow. Each time at this moment, ignite aroma incense to allow my thoughts to curl in and be shrouded with the smoke between. With this carefree feeling I put aside the physical and mental troubles.
Silent Night, you soothe all worried faces. You allow people to put down contradictions and conflicts, put down right and wrong and to lay down social status and class.
Your voice resonates the sounds of nature. It’s a space of emptiness, a palace of the soul for a listening ear.
This is where beauty and ugliness befall. Right and wrong remain speechless. Passion and indifference lost its temperature.
Silence is warmly alive at this moment.
Derision and ridicule, power and struggle, settle like dust with no flush.
6) Cactus Song
I live in Texas my homeland, a desert an untouched ground
I love the sun being my clothes
And I love the sweet, warm breezy blows
With a grouchy cuckoo on my head
No autumn leaves or winter snow
No splashing stream or falling rain
Just an empty Paradise on my own,
With the rocks and stones.
I like to dance in the falling night,
With the cowboys dancing around
That is my homeland, a desert an untouched ground
I live in Singapore IKEA my homeland, a concrete desert ground
I love the air-conditioner being my jacket all year round
And I love the halogen light giving me a good shine
With a grocery shopper passer-by
No autumn leaves or winter snow
No splashing stream or falling rain
Just a perfect Paradise within my reign
With my color and little sands deco
I like to sing in my own shadow
With the shopper’s cajoling around,
This is Singapore IKEA my homeland, a concrete desert ground.
Friend (14) –Car Park Entrance Gate (Barriers) / 朋友（14）- 闸门
这个闸门在外人看来象个傻瓜似的,车来举臂，车走放下。工作毫无意义，毫无乐趣，在虚度人生。
In the eyes of others, this barrier looks like a fool, it jiggles its arm up and down whenever a vehicle comes up or goes down. Its job is no fun at all and to some is wasting life after-all.
这小人物坚守一份小工作, 任劳任怨, 做起事来不闻不问,不问付出,不求收获，一整天只会抬头点头，举臂放下。它的唯一工作就是听从指示，不可以有意见，不可以有投诉。
Still, this little guy stick to his insignifficant work. He is hard working, never ask for much, never ask for returns and is able to get things done in a different. Day in day out, he jiggles his head and waggle his arms. His only job is to follow directions. He doesn’t own his opinions or have his own grievances.
试问，除了它有谁做得到？
How can anyone do this, other than him?
答案是有的；就是那些没有感情的机器。举凡桌上的电脑，厨房的冰箱，24小时开放的手机还有那令人舒服的空调等等。它们就是那一群任劳任怨的傻瓜。
Certainly there is! These are machines without feelings. Whether it is a computer on the table, the kitchen refrigerator, our 24/7 mobile phone, the comfort providing air-conditioner and so on. Again, these are groups of hard working fools.
但有谁会跟这些傻瓜说声谢谢？那他岂不是也变成傻瓜？
However, who will thank these fools? Perhaps only fools will appreciate what these fools had done?
我们真的不需要跟它们说谢谢，唯一可做的是心里多一分感激，两分珍惜，三分欢喜，这样就行了。
Indeed we need not thank them for what they done, the things we can do is to show a little gratefulness, a little cherishing and a little delighting.
这样一来，当它们罢工时，你就会多一分包容，少一分埋怨，青春永驻。
By demonstrating, you feel more accommodating, less awful and that’s helpful way to stay youthful.
5) Forms form my days
How many forms do we have to fill before we call it a day?
Birthday Form, Jab Form and the X-ray Form
Your Childcare Form, your Kindergarten Form and don’t forget your primary school Enrolment Form
Your Secondary School Form, Pre-U Form and University Form
And what about the National Service Form
When you graduate, you got to fill your Interview Form
If you lucky it lasts you forever,
And if you are not so lucky
You got to fill it over and over
One form to another, one form to another
When you got your first pay
You will get your Credit Card and Insurance form
Later part, follow by your Apartment Application Form
And, your Loan Form is on the way
One form to another, one form to another
CPF Form, Medisave Form and your Broadband Subscription Form
What happen if you got a car?
There are many forms to go
And you go for many forms
When your kid comes
Another set of forms begin to go
Until you are six feet down under
Your forms will be filled up by others
One form to another, one form to another
4) Blue collar’s song / 蓝领之歌
When I push the trolley to collect reuse items
I have to bend myself down.
As the sun is so heavy on me
Hey, call me a Karang Guni
I am A Karang Guni
I work for a bowl of rice with a price
I work from sunset to sunrise
When I stand behind the counter
I have to keep up and look neat
As everyone’s eyes are on me
Hey, call me a sales girl or a counter girl
I am a sales girl or a counter girl
I work for a bowl of rice with a price
I work from day to night
When I go from seats to seats
I clean up tables and seats
As I am pay to clear dirty seats and tables
Hey, call me a cleaner
I am a cleaner
I work for a bowl of rice for a price
I work from day to day, holiday to holiday
When I reach your house steps
I have rubbish to collect
As the garbage is unpleasant to environment
Hey, call me a refuse collector
I am a refuse collector
I work for a bowl of rice with a price
I work from home to home, moment to moment
3) The Strange things about me / 奇怪的我
I like the sea but I don’t know how to swim
I like to fly but it is too costly
I like freedom but I have no wings
I like to cycle but I prefer a 4 wheeler
I like to write ghost story but I don’t like to see ghost
I like to travel but not too far
I like to write prose but poem is still my close
I like tall tree but I also like tiny grass
I like colorful flower but I also like plain green leaf
I like rocks so solid but I also like fine sand screed
I like nature but I also like nature in the city
I like joke but I also like black joke
I like stinking river but I also like pure land
I have one dream but it breaks down to too many
I am creative but am still in the box
I am humorous but with no senses
I am bonny but I got dignity
I look young but my heart is even younger
I may be impatient but I have mindful endurance
- Ghost stories (Photo credit: Dystopos)
I may be slow but I know to take short cut
I may be fast but I take the long way
I may be happy but I am tearing
I may be sad but I am laughing
我喜欢海却不会游泳
我想飞却太昂贵
我向往自由却没有翅膀
我喜欢骑自行车但最好是四轮的
- Training on all terrain vehicles in Germany (Photo credit: The U.S. Army)
我喜欢写鬼故事却又怕见到鬼
我喜欢远行却不喜欢走太远
我喜欢写散文但诗歌是我的最亲
我喜欢大树也喜欢矮草
我喜欢美丽的花但也喜欢绿叶
我喜欢石头但也喜欢沙子
我喜欢大自然但也喜欢城市里的大自然
我喜欢笑话但也喜欢黑色笑话
我喜欢发臭的河流但也喜欢净土
我有一个梦想但里头却有无数
我有创意但还在盒子里
我有幽默却没自觉
我有很多骨头也有骨气
我外貌年轻但心底更年轻
我会不耐烦但我知道我不耐烦
我有时会慢但我会用捷径
我有时会快但我走远路
我可能开心但我却在哭
我可能伤心但我却在笑
Friend (13) – wall flower / 朋友（13）- 墙角花
几朵粉红色墙角花，外型潇洒，清新脱俗,却无人注意。路人匆忙的脚步与车辆排出的废气，它显得无动于衷。
Several pink flowers emerging from the wall, chic shapes, elegant and refine but no one catches a glimpse of them. Then it was unperturbed with the busy footsteps that passed by her and the exhaust emitted by passing cars.
它没有朋友的围绕，没有赏花人伫立的惊叹。粉红花在那儿孤芳自赏，乐得其中。
She has no friends around, without eager admirers praising her marvel. She was there all by her own and pleased with her own admiration.
它开心就笑，伤心就哭，没有拘束，没有条例，没有EQ指数更没有IQ过高。
She laugh when happy, cry when sad, with no obligatory, no ruling, not barred by EQ index or high IQ.
它告诉我只要开心就好，它不招摇过市，不爱打扮，只爱素颜见人。写自己的歌，哼自己的曲，怡然自得。
And yet she whispers lightly to me that happiness is not through the streets, not through dressing up but through unhidden Me. Happiness is to sing your own songs, write your own lyrics and live with bliss.
几朵粉红色墙角花，毫无身价却那么开心，那我们呢？
Little pink flowers along the wall come with no price tags and yet so cheery, but why? Why did you exclude me?
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