Monday, April 20, 2009

My Greatest Fear

I knocked
at the door. In her uncombed hair and
soy sauce stained apron, she looked
surprised.
I smelt Bak Kut Teh. “Who are you
looking for?” she asked
peeping
from the door gap. I held her hands,
fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed
on one hand, a Hello Kitty bag
on the other, She walked me to the school gate
every morning.

I held her hands, fingers crossed.
Led her to the couch
where she read newspaper and had a pot of Chinese tea.
Flipping through the photo album, I pointed at
a photo
set in a playground, she was holding
a little girl’s hand, fingers crossed.
“I’m looking for them.” I said.

I knocked at the door.
“Sorry, my girl has gone to school.”
For once
I looked familiar to her.
“Would you want me to give her a call?”
Politely, she asked. I shook,
passed her
a dozen of egg tarts.
“Your daughter asked me to send you these”
“Oh my girl, she has not visited me for months!”
She exclaimed with joy
and tears. I prepared her the tarts
at the dining table where we had
countless dinners
where we quarreled
about my studies,
where we gossiped
about the divorced aunty,
where
she forgot who I am.

I came every day.

I knocked at the door.
Again.
Once more.
Took out the keys from my bag
and unlocked the door, all by
myself.
Someone left the photo album on the dining table.
A mom and her girl, fingers crossed.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Villanelle

This form of poetry is very fun!

Try it out!

Rules:
1. 6 stanzas, 19 lines.
2. A1 and A2 keep appearing in the poetry.
3. a has to rhyme with a. Similarly, b has to rhyme with b.

This is an experiment I did with a classmate (Basically we took turns 'filling the blank'):

A1 Pretty woman walking down the street
b with a chocolate ice-cream she bangs in
A2 ugly man with two big feet

a Two big feet and a stained shirt
b in the pocket a butterfly hair pin
A1 Pretty woman walking down the street

a It's not a good time to flirt
b He still has to go to gym
A2 Ugly man with two big feet

a He says to her, his voice is curt
b "Your sleeves are like the golden fish fins"
A1 Pretty woman walking down the street

a She hates fish and he feels hurt
b He has no idea about his previous life's sin
A2 Ugly man with two big feet

a The ice-cream now lies in the the dirt
b He stands alone in the wind
A1 Pretty woman walking down the street
A2 Ugly man with two big feet

Ok, I know. RANDOM.

Monday, April 13, 2009

只能遥望,却无法分担.
望一切安好.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Here in My Home









Just 4.25 minutes
It can be done
while you're taking
the oath. I'll tell you
what it's all about
One love undivided
that's what it's
all about. Malaysia and Malaysians
There’s just one hope
here in my heart
here in my home


Just 4.25 minutes
Switch on the player
while you're taking a shower
One love undivided

That's what it's
all about. Malaysia and Malaysians
If politics can't solve
Give way to arts
here in your heart
here in your home


Malaysian, Yi Hui Tan


P/S:

Rap Translation -


[Bahasa Malaysia]
Bertubi asakan berkurun lamanya
Hati ke depan mencari yang sayang


translation:
Years of fears and years of tribulation
The heart keeps searching for that endless devotion


[Mandarin]
手牵手大家一起走,我代表华人开口未来就没有丢走


phonetics:
shou qian shou da jia yi qi zou
wo dai biao hua ren kai kou wei lai jiu mei you diu zou


translation:
Hand in hand we’ll march like blood brothers
I speak for my people we’ll find peace forever


[Tamil]
phonetics:
inthe payanam payanamm yen vettri thaagam
anthee kaana kaalam naam vetri raagam...nanba nanba


translation:
May the road ahead quench my thirst for success
May the road behind echo a song of the blessed


[English]
Yes I feel it in my bones and I will let it be known
No matter where I roam this is home sweet home Sing!


Words & Music by Pete Teo
featuring rap by KLG Sqwad & Altimet
by Malaysian Artistes for Unity