Malaysian Haiku/Senryu Echoes 548: Fake Facade

scarry scattered sects

well infected walk pass by

fatal encounter

the young recovered

old rest in hospital beds

double as coffin

none is intended

human rights play free fair game

fake facade falls flat

Note:

Our lockup is extended for a further four weeks, but with more freedom of movement. In my neighborhood, scattered groups of infected construction workers were detected; they were asymptomatic or pre symptomatic. Most of them would recovered well. However, these well infected have roamed the streets and malls nearby, endangering the seniors who live nearby, who need to come out to get their food and groceries. Well meaning volunteers visit many houses with food and cash, risking their lives too. Good if bad, the world is so connected, that only politicians find time and issues to moralise them, by blaming one group against another. Yet they put on a facade of superheroes to face the world.

Poem Translation Echoes 547: Rogue Rats

image of a rat

skinned off its decency dress

bare is death in man

rodents with sharp teeth

gormandise without restraint

dead man without shame

rats yield to own form

humans don with moral stand

death throes to live up

Note:

This is my translation of an ancient poem, selected from the Classic (Ode) Of Poetry (Shining), 11th to 7th century BC, compiled by Confucius. Please read the original poem, Rats (相鼠).

I have chosen to translate it in haiku/senryu, for its brevity and diction. This ancient poem depicts rogue states and individuals. There are homophonic elements in Chinese script radicals, for instance, 皮（ 疲） 齿 （ 耻） 体 （ 礼）, together with imageries. The current spat between states and individuals illustrates this well.

Malaysian Haiku/Senryu Echoes 545: Witch Hunting World

computer crashed by

covid contamination

blame it on China

witch hunt woo world wide

twenty serotypes to spread

Unrepentant sins

vice on other cheek

hate droplets never heal wounds

love left at the gate

Note:

My pc is crashed by virus contamination. In our current lockdown, all IT shops are closed. I am unable to buy a hard disc to format it. I hope to buy a new computer via email and delivery. I am learning to send this via my hp. Yesterday I posted it in the reply section of Echoes 544.

There is poetry and hope everywhere. The Corona virus mutates fast, and many sub types have evolved. The American, African, Asian and Australasian are not the same strain, even the the disease bears the same name. The politician enjoys witch hunting, find blame to distract failing policies. Human beings should be more connected to fight the disease, not to fight on race and culture. We must not let the disease destroy our humanity.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 492: SOUL OF SARAJEWO

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 492: SOUL OF SARAJEWO

misty dreamy world

houses perch on terraced hills

clear river image

still shimmering sound

Variegated tree crowns

cap mountain ranges

rage ravishes peace

hate shatter serenity

mass mindless murder

Note:

We traveled 6- 8 hours in the bus, moving from state to state, and then 2-3 hours of walk visiting sites or sceneries. Again I woke up early, with the urgent need to pen the feeling into words, before they were forgotten.

As the bus passed the serpentine hilly road, I was charmed all the way by the serene sceneries until we arrived at the city to listen to some sad and horrible stories about the fated assassination of Archduke of Austria, Siege of Sarajevo, inter-ethnic cum religious killing among inhabitants, and the breakup of Yugoslavia into six countries. On our way, we were amazed to observe how the lambs were roasted using water power to turn the skewers over wood fire pit. The simple two to three storied bungalows, on terraced slopes, along the Mijacka River, were our dreams houses.  But it was nightmare in places with so much violence. Perhaps we should educate our Prime minister and his cronies about the sanctity and sanity on multi-racial and multi-religious divide; not just the attraction of fair Bosnian women.  We could teach our Hong Kong youth about freedom, democracy and national integrity. And things to learn about survival of small nations in a modern world, and violence bigotry could not solve problems of any nature.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 442: POPPIES

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 442: POPPIES

 

 

bewitch by the bloom

colours captivate the eyes

carpets bask in sun

 

perfume perfuses

senses stir and steer by sight

thinking stray away

 

poppies pacify

due dose of euphoria

beauty in lofty

 

POEM TRANSLATION HAIKU ECHOES 431

POEM TRANSLATION HAIKU ECHOES 431

DAO OF LABYRINTH

（迷宫之道）

 

zigzag, twist and turn

曲折迂回轉

stroll straight on round design, in

直漫步在圆圈中

spiritual search

在寻找心霊

 

surrender all known

屈服所有知

pause and ponder along path

沿途休下來沉思

connect the chaos

連接种乱象

 

receive faith and hope

获信念之望

open minded perspective

放開思維记角度

centring deep in heart

隐藏在心底

 

parts return to whole

部分歸整體

confusion of maze crumble

破解迷宫的困惑

free to walk out straight

自由直步出

RECOMMENDED READING AT END OF YEAR 2018

RECOMMENDED READING AT END OF YEAR 2018

 

A lot of angst marked the end of 2018. The economic and political crisis abroad and at home have polarized the world and our nation and rendered most of us powerless, when the promises of hope have plummeted. The fear and hopelessness are pervasive. They have bubbled and burst into our emotional domain and psyche. There is a need to examine it. There are two recent books (published in 2018) to help us to understand the current crisis, exploring the structure of fear in political crisis and moral anxiety philosophically. As poet, we read, reflect and write, and share those landscapes in our poetry.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 405: HIDDEN HEARTS

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 405: HIDDEN HEARTS

 

 

cascading clear creek

free flow, cut off by cottage

hidden trail treasured

 

Note:

 

This haiku/senryu is in response to Sue Vincent photo prompt, with the theme of HIDDEN, posted on 22 November, 2018.

MALAYSIAN TANKA ECHOES 106: DEFIANCE

MALAYSIAN TANKA ECHOES 106: DEFIANCE

 

land robbed stark naked

dark cloud hovered overhead

bare and dare defy

branches and bushes regrow

in glimmer and scarce water

 

Note:

 

This tanka is inspired by Sue Vincent inspiring photo prompt, with the theme of STARK, posted on 1^st November 2018.

 

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 392: WELL REMEMBERED RAMBLINGS

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 392: WELL REMEMBERED RAMBLINGS

 

lament your leaving
poetry and picture prompt
inspire your readers

 

Note:

A haiku/senryu to salute and mark the Ramblings that inspired another soul.