MALAYSIAN SONNET N0.41: PACTS IN PACKS

Polls on Toilet day, monkeys on mandate;

Money for stretched hands, frustrate may migrate.

Dark clouds loom on sky, flood doom the coastline;

Pacts in packs align, alliance define.

Download color code, all arrive by boats;

Dote on corruption, bloat with excess votes.

Earning short pay debts, ringgit value fall;

Prices rise daily, misery for all.

Ukraine war drags on, hard to compromise;

Stay supreme not wise, vain to realize.

Humans and devils, cross others” border;

Pick up piece of truth, and shout tall order.

Never fair and just, the world we reside;

Dare to face compete, hope and pride confide.

Note:

Our National Election will be on 19th November, which is UN Toilet Day, not a good day to chose, but there is fear of fresh flood ravaging the nation and disrupt the economy again. Candidates on both government and opposition parties align themselves in political pacts and form economic and racial packs, rather than multiracial in orientation.

The Ukraine war is more than 8 month, with advent of winter, and no end in sight. Tomorrow is Halloween , and humans and devils cross border, blurring the morals. Someone said satan picked up a piece of paper, and that is the devil’s version of truth, and how the others must follow. US must always be No 1, and the rest must just obey, especially Asians. Another war between US and China would be chaotic for the world, including US and allies.We hope leaders could wake up in time, for co-operation would be more relevant.

The narration was based on the forwarded messages I received in my daily life. The pictures are copied-pasted from the web, to assist understanding. My appreciation to their owners.

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.

SONNET 22: IMPAIRED VISION

SONNET 22: IMPAIRED VISION

Vision ends today, with woeful whimper;

Bitter as he aged, the nation wither.

His successors are a brood of lame ducks;

They quack in power and steal some fast bucks.

With dignified air, his dilemmas flare;

Inflame racial relate, care for own chair.

Laws and rules not fair, the brains for the drains;

Gains become chains, poor governance in pain

Burden with the strains, pillars crack and fall;

Pandemic waves surge, parliament in brawl.

Brokers enter hall, through backstabbing door;

All princes at war, regal as they swore.

Legacies of fallen leaders and state;

Maniac heads bloated to enter gate.

Today marks the last day of Dr. M’s vision 2020. I wrote this sonnet to mark this historic day of a failed and disastrous vision. The vision is now pushed forward to 2030, and the blame game recycle by oxygen deficient neurons. If these leaders fail to learn but persist in blame, then the nation has little chance of recovery, with such quality leaders. Unfortunately many western leaders share the blame mentality, even before the virus hit their mindset. The poet is not a politician, but one who writes with conscience.

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

Please support Malaysian literature in English.

BLOODY TEARS OF RED CHAMBER (SONNET)

BLOODY TEARS OF RED CHAMBER (SONNET)

endless drip of inconsolable tears;

missing and longing my endeared for years.

the pain of ceaseless yearning hard to bear;

bloody tear drops flare like red beans in air.

flowering willows in flourishing bloom;

spring covers tower and florals fill room.

after dusk, sleep was disturbed and lost poise;

rain and wind ploy with curtains to make noise.

if grain is jade, throat choke, cannot swallow;

food garnish with wine, old and new sorrow.

emaciate, eye brows fail to waggle;

mirror reflection lingers in struggle.

Ya, verdant hills be blurred, but not conceal;

endless flow of clear stream, vain to repeal.

Note:

I have translated Red Bean Song, lyric in Chapter 28, of Dream of Red Chamber, into a sonnet. Hong Lou Meng, the classic novel was written by Cao Xueqin in 1791, Qing Dynasty. The book has more than 80 interesting chapters, expanded another 40 chapters by another author. It has about 80-90 poems.

Seeds of Red Beans appears like blood droplets. There are stories or myth about the link between red beans and yearning or longing.  This inconsolable longing, or the Germans called it, Sehnsucht, is more than missing and longing. It is a mixed emotion, entangled in love, attachment, resentment, homesickness, fantasy, idealized relationship, and even connection to spirituality. It is a deep lamentation or, if you prefer, sacred longing, otherwise the tears will not be bloody. As a medical doctor and poet, my interest in the psycho-social aspect of the dynamics of dyad relate.  My Chinese is limited and the latter part of the Chinese lyric is not easy to translate in the context and format of sonnet, 10 syllables in each line, with end rhyme, keeping the last two as concluding remark.

I have copied and pasted all the pictures from the web with appreciation.

PLEA OR FLEE (A SONNET)

PLEA OR FLEE (A SONNET)

Wear off my grin, future forecast is grim;

Mask to the chin, recovery seems slim.

Virus ride on waves, infection surges;

Blighted buried in grave, market purges.

Leaders rise and fall, styles are still the same;

Princelings plunder, pretentious without shame.

Demagogue default, with no dialogue;

Bend and backstab, over bodies leapfrog.

Vision blown, morals frown, and loans are thrown;

Mediocre with money manage throne.

Overwhelmed by shadows, strive to walk out;

Pout and shout aloud, mortals live in doubt.

Lockdown by pandemic, yearn to break free;

Pray, plea, or flee to a dream land with tea.

Note:

I have merely summarized the news I have read over the week in a sonnet. There are 14 lines; each with 10 syllables each, with a abab end rhyme.

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

AFFAIR AT NIAGARA FALL

AFFAIR AT NIAGARA FALL

voluminous, voluptuous downpour;

worshippers congregate here to adore.

thunderous rapid torrent beat her drum;

the smoky mist at fall stirs up her charm.

seek ways to capture her pristine beauty;

seduce her with a posture in curtsy;

admire her sides, and thrill her by the splash.

reach her bottom by boat, attempt to crash.

powers to imitate gulls, fly and glide;

canoe across both continents with pride.

at the table rock, the water glitter;

blind visitors by reflected luster.

live at the edge of fall, the young will dare;

a fleeting affair must handle with care.

Note:

Niagara Falls was published in my first book as free verses. I have now re written as a sonnet, 14 lines of 10 syllables in each line, with abab end rhyme. The last line is changed.

The pictures were all copied and pasted from the web, with appreciation.

My apology for withdrawing the last haiku, as Susi Books wrote to me to submit three not one. They will be republished after three months.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 560: SPLIT AND SPIT

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 560: SPLIT AND SPIT

world-wide split and spit

dwell in diverse divisions

in hot air balloons

Note:

With the advent of 5 or 6 G, I read and re read genesis and Dao, Confucianism, Buddhism, sciences, humanities and other disciplines to understand the meaning of all these divisions in our inner and outer world. With the technologies and vast expansion of knowledge, our two worlds are still in chaos. I read and reflect on:

“Language and Division” and attempt to relate with other teachings to find some kind of unity.

Is it the discovery of language that causes all the cartesian divide and sub divide, the split of science and humanities in our curriculum, the various disciplines in medicine, and the endless split and spit? I was admitted to the hospital thrice, to my horror, I found the Diabetologists/Physician had never touched me or even asked me over two weeks in ward, other than his own disciplines; similar with other specialists. I was a generalist before retirement, and my patients come to consult me as a whole person, and as not lung, liver, heart etc diseases. In fact, I had many related illnesses, but was never seen as human being.

My book is titled “haiku & senryu”, but there are other forms of poetry and genre crossing. The divide is artificial, but we do need the divide. We forget the unity of divide, the reciprocity, the common rooted connections and the evolvement of each into the other. We look at sexes as strict male and female genitals, without understanding the roles and responsibilities of each gender and social sociometry and hierarchy. The Yin and Yan are manifested in your hands. Each treatment has its cure and side effects. My poems soothe the hearts for some; it might agitate others.

How would Malaysian students respond to the simple haiku stanza and picture s in the front and back cover?

POEM TRANSLATION ECHOES 504: POET-POET INTERACTION

POEM TRANSLATION ECHOES 504: POET-POET INTERACTION

SHADORMA (西班牙的六行诗节) BY CLAUDIA

I wrinkle

我皱纹

I soften creases

我軟化折痕

I fashion

我制作

the stiffness

那僵硬

of the raw threads of this day

未经加工的皱丝

into finished silk

变化成丝绸

Using her own words, I respond in a haiku/senryu:

WEAVING （编织） 

stiffness of silk thread

僵硬的丝线

your smile soften the wrinkle

妳的微笑软皱纹

fashion into art

制作成艺术

SHADORMA TO SHADORMA INTERACTION

Claudia McGill wrote an excellent shadorma in response:

Be patient

耐心点

when the thread tangles

当线缠结时

The first stitch

第一针

says nothing

沒话说

of the last one. The needle

最后的一个。這针

must find its rhythm.

必找其节奏。

This is my response in shadorma, my first:

JUST WALK （只是步行）

the first step

第一步

often a hurdle

常是个障碍

for next step

下一步

overcome

要克服

fear, thinking of risk and gain

恐惧，险与益思考

the walk finds its pace

走得有步伐

Note:

In micro poetry, diction, rather than rhyme, is more important. In Claudia’s shadorma, one observes the movement of emotion, as the knitting and grimaces unfold, the smile softens the focused attention, and creates or fashion into art, both silk products and poetry.

Haiku/senryu has its simplicity in brevity; you either get the meaning of the shadorrma, or you miss it. That’s the fun part.

In the second Shadorma, it is the rhythm of the needle, and the pace of walk in tandem; one on art work, the other about psychology of thinking. We often over think and under think in many issues in life. It is the same with Hong Kong students, and the same with our smart politicians. They are all out of  pace or rhythm.

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 504: WEAVING POET-POET INTERACTION

MALAYSIAN HAIKU/SENRYU ECHOES 504: WEAVING POET-POET INTERACTION

Today is my (Claudia McGill) birthday. This poem describes something of what I want to be doing this year.

84.

I wrinkle

I soften creases

I fashion

the stiffness

of the raw threads of this day

into finished silk

9/24/18

Happy Birthday Claudia. A haiku, using your own words, to celebrate as I cerebrate:

WEAVING

stiffness of silk thread

your smile soften the wrinkle

fashion into art

Note:

I have read and interact with Claudia a few times. I like her homely, yet very observant, micro poetry. She has published many poetry books. 

Shadorma is a Spanish six line stanza (sestet), with 3/5/3/3/7/5 syllabic lines.  Rhyme is not required.

She begins her poem with three “I”s; the ego naturally “stiffens” due to the “wrinkle” (the focusing on her face, and the roll of silk thread). Well, she softens the fold with a pretty smile, and “fashion” her “raw thread” into art, poetry, and her weave, building web connections with her readers. This is my understanding of her poem. The reader will feel the movement of emotion, and the flourishing smile of grimaces.

I merely use her “words” and “fashion” or weave them into haiku/senryu to join the silk connect.

The notes are written mainly for Malaysian readers and publishers who shun poetry away, and declared it as a dying genre.

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.