Winter Solstice

The snowflakes are drifting down
the sky is a mournful grey
Inside the homes
we knead and roll the soft glutinous flour balls
and drop them into steaming hot pots
waiting for them to rise to the surface of the bubbling water
The "tang yuen" are scooped out and gobbled with sweet gingery syrup

In the sweltering heat,why would I be waiting for spring to come?
The shimmering heat of asphalt pavements
the dried leaves cackles and crunches beneath my feet
yearning for the winter to return

Workout

That was a great workout in the outdoors in the Gopeng jungles.The thing about keeping rivers pristine is not to use motorised boats that are noisy and pollutes the water.Jet skis is one of them.Sometimes the commodification of natural resources causes the overkill and we literally kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Nature lovers go to rejuvenate ourselves,not to conquer nature with machines.Silence is blissful but when picnickers come with karaokes and boom boxes,it shatters the serenity of nature .

Peace and quiet

freedom

Freedom of expression

Writers like Gao Xin Jiang and Li Yun Yi are exiles and their work reflect the sense of alienation and dispossession of being transplanted from the native soil.However,the physical distance and change of environment cannot erase the memories of such separation for it remains buried in the deepest recesses of their soul. Therefore soul mountain is a fictional account of an isolated recluse in search of his soul and Li Yun Li deals with the alienation in her short stories.
Both deal with the theme of the loneliness of immigrants but Gao 's second novel on his biography is very much a self indulgent naarativeof his strings of short term flings.

noli me tangere

Unforgettable ,that's what you are
Unforgettable though near and far


Jangan lupa

Lain kali gelak ketawa

Bila tengok advert Yasmin

Semua culture pun seperti campur aduk

mixed rice,mixed race like nasi campur dan lauk pauk


wa,ya ya, remember ingat ori

tiada lain kecuali yasmin sendiri

yang lain cuma ciplak,cap balang punya

our wayang boleh passlah

di tayangkan di international screens

di sini,cut,snip,potong like crazy

until shorter than my ice cream potong

so make sure your wayang vely long long

or kena potong ,jangan minta tolong

story sampai short short tak shiok lagi

nasib baik ada internet kali ini.

haiku on the magical box

The magical box


light and shadows flicker

click the smokescreen vanishes by

a magician's wand

THE JUNGLE IS NEUTRAL,HUH

mR Spencer ,You old Chap Man,
Yeah,we believe you when you wrote that novel claiming that the Malayan jungle is the great equalizer giving one and all who enters a fair go.Woe befall the meateater who sweats profusely for that's the best attraction for all species of kamikaze mosquitoes,and the huge bees who make a beeline for your most sensitive "X" spot.I would douse my body with litres of repellant before I set a toe into those jungle ,if I had the slightest inkling of what "adventure" awaits.
Of course ,not to forget to make a generous donation should those bloodsuckers leech on your juicy thighs,these squirmy creepy crawlies like to pounce unaware on unsuspecting trekkers who would trudge around with heavy footsteps,triggering their motion sensors which are ever alert to a hearty meal.
Hmmn looking for some peace and quiet in the jungle.Think again.The cacophony of all manners of insects and hoots from unseen enemies would drown all ideas of a silent night.
Then dispel all thoughts of a relaxing retreat in an idyllic rural setting.You can do better by enjoying a virtual tour of the tropical hothouse in the armchair comfort of your cushy sofa.
But then again,we're suckers for "thrills" and sadists for "look before you venture"adventures.
Sigh.

Simple joys

It's so refreshing to be in a natural surrounding as a weekend at the Dusun eco resort in Pahang is so reinvigorating.Lush greenery,maddening sounds of insects and a huge spotted gecko in the bathroom added to a good break from the routines.
Hmmn.this is a no frills accomodation when I can unplug and disconnect from the grid of the wired world.The guys caught a flying lizard on the jungle trek and I saw some brilliant green Raja Brooke butterflies and violet ones too.Back to the basics is so destressing especially the chilly jungle air.Hmmn need to plan another escapade away from city life.

Flying kites

The beach at Morib is nothing much to shout about
But the wide esplanade
is fun as children and adults catch the passing breeze
and multi hued kites with long colorful tails twists
and turn
the sky is azure blue
the pokok ru with its pine needles sway in the breeze
the beach is muddy
simple games are relaxing
to watch the kite dip and soar
unlike the mind numbing dotaing

birdie blues

trapped in the urban jungle
steaming hot air from searing asphalt
a tiny yellow butterfly flutters
spins and twirls trying to rise
from tarred road
when whoosh black rubber tyres
run over it
a bird flapping its wings
and dashes here
and there in utter confusion as
bright neon lights
overpower it
It lands on the top
of the street light
its shadow
cast upon a
haloe of light
amidst the
bright neon lit
city.
waiting for the
soothing darkness
to fall.
sleepless like
the lonely soul
in front of a flickering
screen
waiting to disconnect.

Don't give up

Eli don't give up
keep up your good work
the voices of the marginalized
will support your deeds
which gutter politics will not pollute

poems

After a few workshops on poetry,I find the creative juice brewing again.

all about LOVE

Love
How can you calculate?
It's priceless like the stars
or
countless like my hair
That's how they propagate

Love
How can you legislate?
My love is free for ALL?
Why limit it to only four?
or
Is one too many?

Love
In my heart,a jump,a misbeat
when I fall for a misfit
Just to repair it
I need more than a toolkit

Love
it's over,kaput,finito
it has reached its use by date
Its effects I find ways to mitigate
Not a cent in my pocket
But still you press to litigate

Love
wonder where it all went
one thing for sure you're hell bent
to investigate
sniff,sniff,on my shirt
Is that some strange scent?

new year

I hate making new year resolutions for they only make me guilty

how about losing 10 kg by eating tiramisu,ice cream and chocolates
or have bundles of energy by watching all night movies
or a house that has furnishings that automatically self clean
or a furry puppy that doesn't poo or pee
or plants that grow and flourish in waterless conditions
or fairy tales that come true
or peace that prevails
or climate that self corrects itself
or rubbish that doesn't stink
and rats that loves cats
or new years that just come
without loud bangs
starts with a sizzle
and then fizzles