MALAYSIAN HAIKU ECHOES 608: POINTLESS POINTING

little litter bugs

throw and toss trash and tantrum

to meet ants” mindset

Glory to God for many splendoured things;

Learn to laugh in face of what sorrow brings.

Roots have rotted and pointless to trim crown;

Frown on corrupt clowns, uproot from base down.

Note:

I took a picture of the day break. A few friends wondered where was this lovely place with such a huge lake. It was the swimming pool in the condominium, overlooking the verdant hills beyond. Our eyes are often deceiving. It is a world of make-believe. The picture was taken with my hand phone in the early hours. It was a good time to exercise, without anyone around. With such a beautiful area, residents must learn to treasure it.

I was asked, whether I would be an activist, pick-up all the daily rubbish into the adjacent bins. “No”, was my reply. The cleaners would be out of job, and they would sat nearby, laughed out aloud. After my pictures and haiku, the management was prompt to clean up. New trash were seen thrown around, if the litter bugs pursued with their traditional habits. We share the environment and each of us are responsible for our own conduct. I would never throw wherever I go.

In the above four stanza lines, the first was from Hopkins, the second from Bob Dylan, and the last two contributed by me, inspired by news of another political election.

SONNET NO. 37:SHRINKING SOCIAL SPACE

Impact by ear wax, hearing fail and gone;

Social space not on, dawn of life looks wan.

Weak and feeble knees, not far as I please;

Beyond trees and hills, no longer at ease.

Life has to reset, fix mindset no more;

Touch virtual shore, other doors to explore.

Read transcript and text, mind helps to reflect;

Conflict to correct, connect to respect.

Bubbles burst, supplies tumble and crumble;

Pipe dreams fumble, trigger war trouble.

Buy less to have more, loan and deter own;

Less burden to groan, corrupt dried up bone.

Minimal may gain, but, in crisis, vain;

Nature to restrain, and power not sane.

Note:

I was almost totally deaf, with both ears impacted with ear wax. I have been to ENT clinic thrice previously within four months. The operated knee suffered from gouty arthritis for few days. It was a week of hearing lost, with mobility loss for many weeks. Despite four vaccinations, I was infected with a mild Covid infection, and required home quarantine. The mask and physical ( and social) distance kept me isolated. The intense itch from the inner ear infection disturbed sleep slightly. Even the application of medicated ear drops hurt: the itch turned into pain in endless rounds. I visited Botanic Garden, Singapore, recently, but dared not walked far, for the hilly slopes (up or down) stressed the knees and ended with bloody effusion that needed to be aspirated. Exercises is good for health, but it has to be moderated and balanced frequently and individually. We have to keep the bones and muscles fit, without causing distress.

The book on Minimalism helps to a certain extent. The love of Nature had to be tailored to age and physical well being. We must not forget to get help from modern technology, and to seek help from others, when our personal resources run low, albeit temporarily. The poems open myself to the world and to my readers, and hope there is more interactions, rather than passive reading; it is self healing in social isolation.

The pictures are all copied and pasted from the web, with appreciation to their owners. There is no commercial values for me at all.

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SONNET 35: CO -EXIST WITH COVID

East and West mix, boost up with four vaccines;

Antibodies soar, add safe quarantine.

Both infected, co-exist with virus;

Survive the chaos, bias behind us.

Booster doses protect, age with illness;

Pandemic provides insight on sickness.

Yet the world fails to heal the disconnect;

Mutual suspect, fear cause disrespect.

Prodrome symptoms show up faster than test;

Energy drain, aches, cough to beat up chest.

Less than day or two, symptoms retreat fast;

Suffering soon past, the pain does not last.

Impermanence imperil at juncture;

Choices are part and parcel of nature.

Note:

My computer breakdown today. In quarantine, I could not get one to repair. I posted this from my hand phone. This is my second day of infection by ART, the test result lag behind the symptoms. I had two negative tests on consequtive days.

We had two sinovac and two Pfizer vaccines. The mix was due to controversies and prejudices against Chinese vaccines, due perhaps to data for the western trained and for convenience of travel. All four vaccines were provided free by the Malaysian government. We had high antibodies. Despite our care, we are still infected. Never mind the conflicting theories circulating around. We are grateful we are still alive and the infections were not as bad as feared. There is no reason to blame anyone or be blamed for the infection.

Due to impermanence and uncertainty, we had to make choices at each crossroads. It is in such transitory change, that lives have choices, good or bad, and I think they eventually balance out at end of lives.

SONNET 33: SOLD OUT SOUL

Money flows, sold out, blood gushes, not soul;

Roll from bank to bank, control takes their toll.

Pin hope in small bet, enrich some pockets;

No myth on my lack, hold on dream tickets.

Neither rich nor poor, wake up from such daze;

Pass my days in haze, leaders talk amaze.

Graft allowed by some, legal, not moral;

Sin is normal, just family quarrel.

Born in safe haven, oyster is their world;

Curl in princely pearls, all their rights unfurl.

Progress passes by, some live, many die;

No you-and-me cry, sigh or sing goodbye.

Cash flows in and out, care to feel enough;

Lack is often rough, tough will train the buff.

Note:

The sonnet was inspired after reading “The Soul of Money”. It was an old book, first published in 2003, then re edited in 2017. A short poem by Rabindranath Tagore expresses well the experience of sufficiency. Again the books I have read were loan from the Singapore Library. All the pictures from copied and pasted from the web, with appreciation to their owners. My intention was to encourage reading among the young, and to make notes or write responses post reading.

Recently Japan, under Tsutaya, will open a giant bookstore at pavilion Bukit Jalil, KL on 7th July. Thumbs up to them, but I am just curious why Malaysia is chosen. It is reported that Malaysians read less than a book per year. Though I read about 30-50 books per year, but I don’t buy anymore, due to fund shortage. I borrow from the library instead.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 591: MORALIZING MEDIOCRAZY

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 591: MORALIZING MEDIOCRAZY

all guises and grades

fuzzy to define and grasp

the one in mirror

jerks flock together

knotted feathers fault no wits

in system crisis

prestige and power

preach morals with more hand outs

endless nitwit game

switch off the sound track

let nonsense flash out in bowl

norms never mix well

Note:

Found this book, How To Deal With Idiots (And Stop Being One Yourself) by Maxime Rovere, with translation by David Bellos, displayed in a Singapore library. I was reading it, when my primary 3 grandson looked at the title and laughed at it, “What an idiot to read a book on idiots!” The frank comment come from a child, and cannot be offensive at all.Human relate and communication always depends on strength of dual relationship. The book attracted me mainly due to or recent flood and the ways the authorities mismanaged it. And books bearing that titles are widely displayed in shops. I prefer to read in philosophy. Maxime tangled and entanged a fair bit in his presentation, and the reader , with fair English, needs patience to read or decipher the text; perhaps in ways we deal with French cuisine and burgundy. A better comparison will be fist fighting between protestors for vaccinated against non or unvaccinated – all for Human Rights and Democracy. It’s really ticklish by Asian culture, for whatever the choice , there’s responsibility to the community at large. Nevertheless read one of these books around, not to make judgements, but mainly to understand jokers within and outside of us at this trying time of pandemic plus (flood, illnesses, bad economy etc.) We aim to understand the concepts or philosophical principles, not characters or personalities, and learn to apply them when we are trapped in similar circumstances.

I prefer mediocrazy to mediocrity, as medio refers to mediocre, and they are rewarded in crazy elections. Malaysia has shown that the doors of power can be entered through the corridors at the back, or side or even revolving turns. Even mediocres can play smart games. They are often winners in popular election, if we care to open our eyes. Their numbers also multiply faster than the gifted.

The pictures are all copied and pasted from the web with appreciation to their owners.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 581: DEAD BUSY

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 581: DEAD BUSY

dead busy whole day

unaware the mind has died

the pain revives it

moan over heaped mound

wail vain to wake up the dead

cries stir up living

Note:

I have been busy in the last few days over some trivial, and forget a lot of other things. The Chinese word for busy is “mang”, the word is formed by two radicals. The red radical on the left means the heart or mind; the black print on the right means death. It reminds me , if one is too busy, and becomes unaware, the mind is dead, or insensitive, or as good as dead. The travail of living jolts us back to life. We still need to face the pandemic, whatever the figures.

Chinese characters are pictographic; you can picture a dead mind or heart. It is good to use the word as an object for contemplation.

In Malaysia, the infected are still around five to six thousand, mostly the younger age group. However the dead are mainly the seniors. Whatever the young does, they impact their seniors, and the children at home. Best for them to keep their SOP, as advised.

The word and picture are copied from the web with appreciation. It is not disrespect to the dead.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 452: TEASING REWARD

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 452: TEASING REWARD

the sight salivates

love melts in gaze and tease game

nod your head, dear mom

Note:

The picture of the child is obtained with permission from the mother; it’s a copyright.

Mother wrote to me, protested that her “love never melts”. I explained that English is not a really straight language. There are differently levels of understanding “melt”. It may mean disappears, or becomes softer and tender to spread, like butter on bread. The difference is timing, skill and responses of both. Teasing can be endearing and fun , at the right time; it’s soft and tender, but disappears with overdoing.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 450: MONOPOLY

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 450: MONOPOLY

The first (haiku 1) haiku/senryu is written by a eight year old primary school kid in Singapore. He is taught by his ten year old sister (haiku 2) to write on the same topic on monopoly.

dice gives us some luck

properties make you richer

monopoly’s cool

2.

It’s all about luck

Everyone wants to conquer

One might win or lose

Note:

I merely taught the ten year old what the word in Monopoly means.

Mono (means single) Poly ( means many or more). So Monopoly is a game of control or power where one plays against many to win. People or nation play games all the time. Eventually the game ends with a dominant winner over the rest (subordinates), and he/she is thus in control of the play. Luck or destiny may play a part, and is part of the game. The control is over properties, trade or money, or all kinds of power, or even relationship. Write within your experience , noting your thoughts and feeling.

My intention is to encourage children to read, love and write poetry, and haiku is only three lines. The post pandemic has taught us that education has to be more broad based and allow children to think beyond their boxes.

I have offered my free services to Malaysians on two weekends, and not even one turn up.

This is what I have written after them.

MONOPOLY

dollar dominates

prostitute privileges

bad loser control

Note:

USD has dominated the world for too long, by fair competition or crooked means. It was initially backed up by gold, but increasingly it is reinforced by military might (scientific weapons and technologies, AI etc), subversion of elected government, dollar control through bond market, with changing interest rates, printing of USD and manipulations, media, petroleum, and subversion. The exorbitant privilege is abused by over and excessive control, and the nation turns from a moral state into a bad loser and a rogue state if unaware.

Even the dices can be manipulated, or no one can be lucky all the time …

The pictures are all copied and pasted from the web with appreciation to their owners.

PRIVACY OF SECRETS: TRANSLATION IN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 426

PRIVACY OF SECRETS: TRANSLATION IN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 426

gently I slow down

folded feeling secretly

in sealed envelop

《私密》
李龙

轻轻地
把心情放缓
用折叠将秘密装进信封
然后，藏在最深层的抽屉里
然后，找来锁匙紧紧地锁上

then hide in bottom

deepest chamber of closet

lock and secure tight

我发誓不再启封
在我还眷恋这红尘时
更不会用自己的双手
撕开这只有自己知道的秘密
更不会用启封刀来解开这个谜

promises, never

to unseal in mundane world

lured by pair of hands

我知道，也只有我知道
这信封藏着的私密
只有我能知道
或许有一天
那信封被解封了
但是，我已经无法知道
谁是解封人

rib-off own secret

with a letter opener

to solve mystery

I know, and privy

to the hidden personal

secret that one day

the content unseals

but there is no way for me

to know the person

Note:

Mr. Lee Long. a prolific writer from Singapore, with poetry and fiction publication in abundance. He writes in Chinese. I have his permission to translate his poem into haiku/senryu and to publish in my blog.