MALAYSIAN SONNET NO: 43: DOUBLE DISABILITIES

Knees awake by chill, then cramp, stiff and lock;

Shock when walk is blocked, struggle to door: knock.

My angel wife comes, assist to the loo;

Flushing down my brew, the tension brake through.

Bionic joint last, longer than my years;

Symptoms seen as blame, fail to listen rife.

Patients have patience, all rooted in pain;

Relapse springs again, complaint ends in vain.

Label disable, dashboard sticker laid;

Wear pair of hearing aid, sound and noise grade.

Bones, muscles, organs: age faster than years;

Longer lives mean more money care and tears.

Change is certain, but not the same aging pace;

Face disabilities with grace, no race.

Note:

My sonnet was inspired after reading “Lead With Grace””, a free book offered. I am not a Christian, and took some time to understand the Dao of The Shepherd Metaphor and The Missing Lamb Metaphor. Strange to comment that many good Christians miss the wisdom in metaphor, together with Genesis. Perhaps their minds are still full of divide and arrogance due to fear. They are lost in their own obsession to win.

The logo of “disabled”with a wheel chair is good, but the public misunderstand it. Many tend to think the “Disabled” must be in wheelchair, or miss a limb or blind. I am not in such categories, yet I have multiple disabilities, not manifested all together. I am sorry to disappoint such people. Despite this, I have encountered many people who cares, and willing to help when requested. There are more good people around, despite many are watching what or how to do good. Sometimes I have to show my card, for I look well. (I could not ventured out, if unwell! Perhaps I should act like the politicians here.) My benefits do not disadvantage another; it only help in my ease of living, especially in parking.The Dao, Lokadhamma or Ikigai or Sufism all help to put concepts into action. The world already suffers a big divide. We must learn to build bridges to link and connect.This is especially so in Malaysia, when race hold supreme. Luckily, this does not happen at the social or mundane market scenario.

My thanks to the author again. I read it free in my kobo.

MALAYSIAN SONNET NO.42: SEISMIC SHIFT

Index in ink pot, dip and stain to vote;

Ballot booth to note, choice of code to dot.

Gerrymander, with kith and kin, to win;

Coax clients and cash, teenage voters spin.

Millions enter scene, shift old power game;

Hung neck to neck, zealous bigots to blame.

Intrigue by scandals, dead knots suffocates;

Money, race and religion dominate.

Push burden baggage to King, with tags stain;

Five days to free knots, odd marriage is sane.

Avoid overstep, apology heals;

Hard to seal the cracks, hate erupts and feel.

Dearth to govern well, saga show his worth;

Mirth of politics, bridge gaps in new birth.

Note:

Malaysia celebrates Anwar Ibrahim as the 10th Prime Minister, after 30 years of political saga. It is not an easy take over, with so many ills and malaise in the country. However, with all the contenders for current power game, most fair minded Malaysians will think he is the best man for the post at a very bad time.

I have no political links. The sonnet is mainly a narrative of what I have read from the media and the many forwarded mails to me. In a multi racial and multi cultural nation, it is naive to think the dominant will share power fairly with the minorities, bearing in mind the demographic trend of the nation. Nevertheless we need to appreciate one another’s sensitivities, and learn to readjust and re balance at each changing phase of development. The future is for the young to decide, and it is not an easy world to live in. Best for the seniors not to mess up things. The consolation for the election is many corrupt politicians lost their deposits and end their legacies in historical dustbins.

The title of the sonnet was from the awe of watching seismic shift of earthquake in Indonesia lately.

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

MALAYSIAN SONNET NO 40: MASS MURDER

Bomb and blast by both, Human Rights wordplay;

Kill to protect world, explain faith away.

Brainwash by bullshits, perspectives change hands;

Educate in West, feel the sand I stand.

Drag into quagmire of war, by weird west;

Sanctions and control, prices beat own breast.

Dollars dominate, obey and bow down;

Frown on comic gown, drown with frogs around.

Wars monger on, weapon traders enrich;

Ostriches bury heads, run by old witch.

Her charm causes chaos, breaks coastal sea chain;

Compatriots gain, sane with central reign.

Democide is a crime, condemn by all;

Aware of state terror, inspire by awe.

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.

MALAYSIAN SONNET NO 39: SPACES BETWEEN ILLUSION AND LIGHT

Seek enlightenment, strangers lurk in dark;

No light to spark life, hark and bark in lark.

In throes of distress, hush, help in hassle;

Pairs lock in battle, blind by the dazzle.

Perspective protects, but poles pull apart;

Stance causes conflict, letting go free hearts.

Duality duel breeds disorder;

Good is bad in disguise, fuzzy border.

Move towards goodwill, know beliefs divide;

Pride no longer hide, ignite light inside.

Opposite of opposite pairs do meet;

Pairs sit on other feet, sweet with deceit.

Polar pairs pierce at self, link and bond break;

Aware pairs are delusory and fake.

Note:

When one is in and out of hospital within a short time, the mind tend to be contemplative. Either the body or mind decay faster than the other. As one ages, sarcopenia and osteopenia or dementia, or forms of memory loss tend to follow.I exercise, even moderate for my age, there is always risk and side effects, and need to seek new balance. The outside world, with ceaseless wars and sanctions, is increasingly polar and racial. The Free World is no longer as free as one imagined. Even highly educated leaders appear really stupid. With that background, I re read Genesis and Loka Dhamma, with eights pairs of vicissitudes of living, and Taoism and Confucinism, and works by Jiddu Krishnamurthi for some inspiration. Well, all these are merely knowledges, and they will never provide light within. The series of personally events and changes in outside world, has helped me to see duality in different aspect. I understand that the pairs are not alone, but all linked together. Once a pair is understood with awareness , they fall apart, and no longer cause confusion and conflict.

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

SONNET 34: MONEY DRAMA

Read Wit and Wisdom, red book for the dot;

Tease out racial knots, nation on right spot.

Feats are legacies: opportune perfect;

Dissect Dilemma, bigotry suspect.

Confess your sins, not to redeem merit;

Inherent hatred, perish in spirit.

Lone wolf kills woe, ninja slow in hurdle;

Go where money flows, greed glow in circle.

Weird stumble on win, pride fails to listen

Hearts are not silent, fear prison by schism.

Nations rise and fall, no one stays supreme;

Moral malaise scream, regime is extreme.

Game of money world is played as drama;

Fear of lack, souls suffer money trauma.

Note:

I was reading Happy Money by Ken Honda, several million copies were sold. I am uncertain whether Shinzo Abe read his book before his assassination. Such violence is part and parcel of Japanese historical violence at home and abroad. Gun control is very strict in the country and the country is almost entirely Japanese. Despite this, he could not escape his fate, even with a top Ninja to protect him.

Earlier on I was reading Wit and Wisdom of LKY, the smallest book available for free reading, and salute the man for his multicultural approach and meritocracy in building a slum area to an advanced First World nation, in contrast to the bigotry across the causeway.He seized at the opportune time in history, with his experience and wisdom. And that was 50 more years ago; the challenges would be different for a different breed of arrogant scholar-bureaucrats. The world is fast changing, and taking sides may not always win. Nevertheless, Singapore has done so well in many ways, in comparison to the deterioration across. In fact, in his later years, the aging doctor has shown he has no dilemma at all. In contrast, the promised legacy was a Sri Lankan nightmare in the near future.

Many forward mails were sent to me ; most were gossips, and the senders themselves did not read before sending. However, I do learn from them. I include some of them in my narrated sonnet.

The pictures were copied from their clips or the web with much appreciation to their owners.

SONNET 32: MONEY MAGIC

Voracious desire, needs jump start to want;

Wanton appetite, pleasure pursuits haunt.

Richness ripens, wealth wither and weaken;

Not knowing enough, life lost own beacon.

Fair to base instinct, reset new balance;

Change is leaping fast, nudge on new challenge.

Prosper with money, envy and greed boom;

Pandemic and war, price parity doom.

Spend out run saving, rates compound in craze;

Capital blaze and burst, rats chase in maze.

Bigger cakes to share, poor bake, rich rob more;

Hardship to endure, servile suffer sore.

Rich buy and loot more, bossku boast pursuit;

Wealth has time commute, root in fair compute.

Note:

I have retired for eight years, with no real income, except interest and dividends from shares. We are frugal, and after eight years of expenditure, my FD has depleted. Though a poor share investor, we make money on the market, due to luck (with lesser greed), rather than knowledge and skill. Fortunately we have not withdrawn our EPF saving; it gives good compound return and serve as our aging medical fund. Prior retirement, I thought, as a doctor, I could always go back to work as locum when saving was low, but the thought was not right, for rules for APC, insurance, employment, pandemic and prices of goods had changed over the years, and no longer a fair source of income. Moreover, writing is more for leisure, and the lesser the expectation, the better the well being.

Lately I was reading The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel, borrowed from Singapore public library. The sonnet was inspired by reading the book, and my appreciation to the author and the wonderful national library. All the pictures were copied and pasted from the web, to help the readers to understand the sonnet, andd, also for their interest.

Malaysians have read that we will soon be bankrupt, after Sri Lanka. Our currency is falling like humpty dumpty, and prices soar daily in the market. It’s a race between end of saving and end of life. Luckily my only daughter is a good supporter.

Bossku, meaning my boss, refers to our popular ex PM. He is affectionately known by the Malays , despite the corruption charges. God really works in strange ways. and indeed strange to comment for our many PMs.

Magic was used to imply charm and spell. Capital is a good motivator, but greed and envy due to comparison, accompany it. Human beings think they are free, but our brains are baked or wired to bias of varied belief systems. The Americans and the West believe they are free, the best and all the superlatives; let them be, at their own peril ,for those who do not learn, and with closed mindset.

SONNET 31: ENTANGLED EMOTION 冤家

Fiesta of sunrise beyond hilltops;

Verdant serpentine hills serve as backdrop.

Couple in conflict , tango in tangle;

Wither in the wrung, tears parch in strangle.

不是冤家不聚头

yuānjiɑ 冤 (two radicals: shelter and rabbit or hare) 家 Jia (family, pig under shelter)

Amorous hurt hare gather at shelter;

Entwined fate, live and fight in all weather.

Past hurt bruise and bleed, love thoughts maim and lame;

Shame to mention name, lost memory claim.

Torture each other, vain to right drama;

Cast and curse by spell, the sight is trauma.

Own tale to narrate, each justify hate;

The logic sounds great, irate high to rate.

Saga sucks up soul, folly fail to halt;

Till death do them apart, mind finds no fault.

Note:

The first picture showed my return to my condominium after more than four months stay in Singapore. Against the tranquil scenic background, I have observed entangled, embittered and trapped emotion among couples. or friends, or any relate. I was watching a Chinese movie about Chinese traditional medicine, and the common Chinese saying catches my mind.

不是冤家不聚头 It is translated as entangled couples are trapped in their gathering. However, 冤家 (Yuan; Jia) are very interesting Chinese characters. It means enemy, or embittered couples. There is implication of injustices done and false accusation. The first word showed a rabbit or hare under shelter or cover. Rabbits are very tame animal. They are under cover or cage for their own protection. They squeak, with wide repertoire of sounds, all the time, whether happy or sad, louder if there”s fear. If you ever embattled in conflict with a long winded one, you might understand Yuan Jia in better light. The emotion and affect are beyond intellect and philosophy, even for minor misunderstanding or injustices. And the “war”could end up for years, the bitterness felt. even after death of the person. If you ever listen to the logic or philosophy behind, you would be puzzled at their perspective of looking at minor events; even kindness could be understood otherwise. Kindness begets kindness is not always true or right for some rascal with twisted brains and emotions.

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

SONNET NO. 30: BRINK OF BANKRUPTCY

Park at clinic space, the dirt is disgrace;

Human hair waste and food grease fill the place.

Stroll along street, rat droppings lead the way;

Health hazards betray, damned site not for stay.

Parking disarray but laws can be bend;

Trend is to spend, prices inflate no end.

Snatch and steal common, same is corruption;

Race destroy nation, cause wide frustration.

Poor governance, good resources squander;

Beneath the shells, ponder frogs learn under.

Fair meritocracy opens the world;

With shine from sun and moon, verdant unfurl.

All races have a common destiny;

Bridging the divide is shared legacy.

Note:

I returned from Singapore to Malaysia on the weekend by car; a trip from advanced First World to Third. Singapore was part of Malaysia, and the political differences caused the separation. Obviously all the rich resources are in the peninsula, plus East Malaysia.Our currency was slightly higher than the little Red Spot, but now it is Rm 3.1188 to S 1. Poor governance, poor leadership and racialism are the main reasons. Dr. M promised us a better nation by 2020. The pictures showed the decline. I had a simple GP practice at this spot for decades, and sadness overwhelmed me to see the decay and destruction. It motivates me to write, as a poet and a doctor. I visited a nearby clinic to have my dentition fixed, as the cost in Singapore is too prohibitive.

The pictures are taken by my ex nurse, when I request her for help.

For Malaysian students, sonnets have 14 lines; each line with 10 syllables, and end rhyme. It is divided into4 stanza, three with four lines each, and a fourth is a concluding stanza of two lines only.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 602: WINE AND WHINE

luminous moon shines

sleepless night whine and wish to

nestle and natter

明月照床前, 思情难入眠

the lines flow with sips

trio, with shadows, tango

solace in twilight

moon hang out in lake

hilarious dive to retrieve

great poetry ends

Note:

Thinking is one of the causes of insomnia. (The thought of going back to my condo in Malysia also excites me a little, after spending about 4 months in Singapore.) For me, it is when poetry flows into my stream of consciousness. I woke up one early morning , and saw the moon shinning through my window. I ponder on Li Bei”s poetry and the train of thought and emotion flow.

The pictures and video are copied and pasted from the web with gratitude, except my own poorly snapped photo.