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 29: PHALLIC POWER

With pomp, political power return;

Mob cannot discern, cash backs perk concern.

Money hand around, legacy pass down;

Top-down are clowns, cheats outside town renown.

Drown in choppy waves, mindset choke in grave;

Misbehaviour worldwide, liberty rave.

In West, history ends, in East rises;

Level playing ground, crisis in surprise.

Risk of Tyranny, blinker by conceit;

Malarkey think tank, block septic deceit.

Paradigm changes, mindset fall behind;

Global faces align, but not refine.

Sanction halt on war, fight sore to the core;

Blood at every door, tears drift to your shore.

Note:

US, UK and Europe donate weapons of mass destruction to Ukraine to fight against the Russian military. It is unfortunate for Ukrainians that their country is chosen as a battlefield for proxy war, due to cognitive lack of its popular leaders. All these missiles are symbols of phallic power; the word reminded me of higher testosterone level of the West, hormone of prowess and aggression, in unbalanced dosages. The caudal spinal overtakes the prefrontal cortex, so to speak. Or, to the Chinese, over dominance of Yang, without the Yin to soften it. That is free choice in a democracy.

In the peak of pandemic we have a state by election. The deposed party regained power, due to poor voter turn out. Credit goes to ex PM, who managed the election so well for his party, though unable to govern the nation. He gained endearment (bossku) from his voters and party. We need to look at the meaning of demo (mob or enlightened people) and cracy (voting), when there is much gerrymandering with racial twists. It was alleged the money incentives were given in times of hardship.The West use similar tactics in their coloured revolutions everywhere. The democracy is replaced by oligarchical plutocracy.

Again, I am not a politician, but I like to narrate the event in poetry, based on what I have read from daily papers, books, forwarded mails etc. Even the word, malarkey, was learned from US representative when asked about US bio lab in Ukraine. The root word also implied masturbations, not well selected in diplomacy. Not many Asians are convinced by that statement. If we harboured such shared delusion, then we paved the road for tyranny.

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

MALAYSIAN SONNET 27: WAR WAILING

Zig zag park to park, search for rescue ark;

Neither here nor there, hark freedom in dark.

Back stab and betray, bear too big to bug;

Talk tall with your gall, tumble in your shrug.

Life in constant flux, change to make fast buck;

Corruption creeps in, kakisto is crux.

Habits insulate, break down under threat;

Fret and sweat for help, upset with wrong bet.

War to ravage all, disasters make awe;

Draw in proxy fight, power full of flaw.

Talent and money flight, third world move to West;

Mess up everywhere, reactions are jest.

Figures flare with fear, hope soon fade away;

Future is displayed, decay at doorway.             

Note:

The world is never a safe haven. Calamities, Covid 19, chaos, corruptions , cancers, casualties etc are enough to depress even an optimist. I have just recovered from a week’s rest from my knee pain, and read news of impending war in Ukraine. It’s a Sunday and we decided to take our walk from Kent Ridge park to Holt Park; so we zig zag across the well maintained jungle path, as some kind of healing by contact with nature. I imagined an ark would take us to some safety, would not have to chose sides or make choices in daily lives. Many lay experts on current and medical news are born; mainly to seek fun with social lock down and restrictions of the over drawn pandemic. The Chinese netizens gave President Biden a nicknamed ,白等 (homophonic with his name, but meaning vain wait) and President Putin (不停 homophonic translation, but meaning non stop), with twists of irony, in the way they conduct power politics.

It is very easy to give up hope in such a messy world, with kakistocratic government in Malaysia and elsewhere. Jane Goodall in The Book Of Hope, shines with a divine light , encouraging us to continue in whatever work we are doing.

The first cartoon and last picture are randomly picked and pasted from the web with appreciation to their owners. I have also benefited from Singapore public library.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 584: JOY OF JASMINE

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 584: JOY OF JASMINE

pervading fragrance

of flowering jasmine, fly

and bless with the breeze

flit, flutter and and flirt

bees pollinate and match make

sexes without lust

SONNET 17: CHANGING LIFE BALANCE

Perfume of jasmine pervades with fragrance;

In bygone days, friends meet here with vibrance.

Hall of mirrors reflect fond memories;

Cascading fountains flash with grand glories.

Foliage purify and hang from high;

Koi swim with zest in rain water from sky.

Oaky serpentine windup stately stairs;

Mansion maintenance burden an old pair.

The birds have flown and leave an empty nest;

Down shift to a rented terrace is best.

With each changing phase, living space will shrink;

Without any blink, life moves on in sync.

Attitude alters to fit challenges;

Talent is needed not to lose balance.

Note:

We sold our old bungalow off with difficulty. However, we kept the jasmine bonsai for 25 years and shifted it to our small condominium unit. It is always a joy to be blessed with the fragrance of flowering jasmine , and the verdant pots around. Nature has blessed us and teaches us to live well.

The first two words of the second haiku was inspired by Mr. K. C. Kan; the word “flirt” was added by me after reading news of sexual abuses by powerful political leaders. Corruption need not be monetary or financial; sex or even art could replaced it. It is just bare raw political power. At 75 years, I am blessed with erectile dysfunction. I do not need testosterone injection or cialis/viagra to play Sugar Daddy. Neither I have the power for C4, or money or strength to force down any male or female. Sexual lust are just desire and show of power. Leaders use money or sex as a tool to control or topple others. Poetry is much more benign, and has no market value. I will die of starvation if my life depends on selling books to survive.

I am not rich enough to publish my fourth book on Sonnets. First, no publisher like to print it, or they charge at high rate, without refund of royalty. Even doctors and professionals find my book too costly, at Rm 20 or Rm 35 per copy, with half of the printed books given free.

MALAYSIAN TANKA ECHOES 116: BLOOM AND FADE

MALAYSIAN TANKA ECHOES 116: BLOOM AND FADE

full bloom elegance

ugly with slow withering

vanity wilted

holding on to blemishes

fall fast to enrich nature

Note:

I was watering my plant in our small garden pots. Few days ago, the flowers were in full bloom with elegance and beauty. Now the petals start to wither, very slowly and ugly, instead of dropping and falling fast.

Now we are old and unfit. News of covid-19 infected figures and mortality rate alarm many, especially the seniors. Once admitted to ICU, it is almost as good as dead. The dying process is more awful than death itself.  Of course, there are also many flowering plants that bloom and fade in grandeur. Nature is always there to show us the diversity of lives.

The first picture, Hibiscus in full bloom once, is Malaysian national flower. The last two pictures are from my front porch garden.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 481: CALLIGRAPHY CULT

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 481: CALLIGRAPHY CULT

calligraphy cult

shadowy play on race drum

shouts on nightmare scream

national treasure

fearful forced hegemony

shrill voice of subdued

cultural art skill

conscripted script with brush stroke

hairs of foxy tail

Maya Angelou.

Note:

Recently the Malaysian Education Department (with the approval of PM) introduced compulsory Jawi calligraphy in primary four onwards. Chinese medium schools have to study three languages (Malay, Chinese and English), now Jawi script to be added for national union. Instead it arouses more controversy and dissent than endearment. Right or wrong, it is seen as policy of assimilation, if not, racialism.

I was reading  “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, and this line, shadow shouts on a nightmare scream, inspired me to write this run of haiku/senryu.

I am uncertain whether there will be “another breeze” of Hope for the country. Worse than the caged bird, it is trapped within its racial mindset.