Monday, October 31, 2011

Sunset

Picture Credit: Google Images


Golden rays fading
A photographer’s delight
Artists and poets

Yearning  to record
Nature’s setting a beauty 
For posterity

Submitted for One Single Impression with prompt 'Sunset'

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Texting Experience at its Best!

Process Notes: This is a real-life situation posted earlier
in prose form. I had it truncated and revamped as a texting drama.

                                                                                                       Attribution: Hank
Image1: Baby Naqip the subject of this drama held
by Daddy Hafidz. Taken Jul 31,2011 at one year old

                                                                                                      Attribution: Hank
Image2: Elder brother Nabil and sister Sarah
Ayesha taken on the same day.

Friday July 02, 2010 had been expected
to be just an ordinary day. It all started
in the morning when Norman and Kimie
(read: grandchildren) had their ‘Report Card’ day

Azlin, my eldest daughter
had dutifully accompanied her 2 boys
to confer with their respective teachers .
Parents were required to present themselves
for a one-to-one with the teachers
to gauge and discuss on
how they (the 2 boys) had 
fared during the term.

It was all well and good
I was supposed to pick them up later
in mid-morning as there would not
be any more classes for the rest of the day.

Then it happened!
My loving wife, Shadah
received a text message from
Hafidz, my elder son

'Qhaty’s in labour! '  

What?.. Now? …Gosh!
We knew Qhaty was in the family way
and it was ‘anytime now’ and it
was expected.

But not now! ....

It was still a surprise though
that it should be that morning.
Ok, ok, Shadah decided.
(in this sort of situations,
I would let her decide)
We’ll pick up Norman and Kimie
and then we'll go.

Hopefully we'll be in time.
From PJ, to Ampang Puteri Hospital ,
taking the DUKE highway would be a breeze.

Then another text, ‘ 7cm now. Baby otw’

To tell you the truth, I was not at all
knowledgeable nor familiar nor accustomed
to such technicalities.
But I could guess. It must be pretty soon.
Sure enough, before we could recover,
another text came,

'Baby boy safely arrivd naturally 2.96kg, 52cm. 
Mommy is doin fine. Happy and grateful!. Alhmdlh.’

We were relieved!. We were just
relieved. With a tinge of regret though
as we were not there when it happened.

Then another message . ‘It’s a boy! ‘

Maybe Hafidz was just as relieved
as us that he just couldn’t resist
 sending the confirmation again
or maybe he was just overwhelmed
with joy ‘

Come to think of it.
If there's none of the ubiquitous
hand phones and the corresponding
sms texting culture ,
as what we are having now,
life would have been pretty
much mundane and uninteresting!

Yes, I suppose so!

Submitted for d'Verse Call and Response

The Coach

I Decide

You are an athlete
Limber up and be ready
Training is a must

But I am all right
I am the coach I decide
I know who are good 

Submitted for One Single Impression - Prompt 191 - Limber Up 

Friday, October 28, 2011

A New Father


A poignant moment of a new father with baby
(Picture Credit: Google Images)

Can I Manage?

A quagmire of thoughts
Running wild in all its putrid form
Porous and extending its abhorrent self
Can I  rightly manage its soul

Give me a respite
To thwart its impregnable form
A fabric of my imagination
Holding true to my strength

I can do it at my own time
My fervent hope to unravel  its wicked self
To falter is presumptuous
For I know my strength

Bid my beloved
Heavenly is all in the excitement
I’m having a baby, a father
An epoch making event

Envisaged of divine benevolence
I’m enthralled, shrieking in awesome gratitude
Never in my life
I hope it’s a boy!

Submitted for d'Verse Meeting- the- Bar - Conflation

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Limericks 4


A Limerick fascinates me. I like it for 2 reasons. Firstly we have to maintain the form. Only then it is effective. The 1st, 2nd and 5thlines should rhyme together and these are longer sentences. The 3rd and 4thshould rhyme together and these are shorter. That’s the basics that I understand without regard to meters which gets me stumped.
 Secondly, the 5th line provides a ‘punch-line’ sort of. When we are done with reading the 5th line we get ‘tickled’ and we laugh together.  
 I always go to Mad Kane’s Limerick blog (here) to get the inspiration. Madeleine Begun Kane is the guru in this community. I would try to contribute a limerick with her as often as I can. 

The limericks below were my contributions to Mad Kane’s. Mad Kane provided the first line 'A girl was telling a tale' and A gal was attempting to write. We are to continue. Hope can get some smiles!

A girl was telling a tale
Of how she ensnared a silly male
Do they  expect
A story of sex?
No, just that of a provider during a sale


A gal was attempting to write
Something she thought that would fright
Was a tame affair
Just lots of hot air
But friends tolerated her, claimed her as ‘bright’



Monday, October 24, 2011

The Human Kind



Picture Credit: Courtesy of Willow's Mag#88

He’s walking fast, crossed the street
Keeps looking back over his shoulder
Do you see him? Your side mirror!
Should be able to, your side mirror!

But I can’t, too fast, way too fast
Look again! Try your rear view mirror Yes, can you see him now?
Ok, ok I can see him now
Right, turn around and follow himDo it fast you might lose him again
Ok, ok  I can see him now.Yes, he’s tipping his hat,.Putting on his dark glasses
Good, it’s better  for you.Easier to track him now.Stay focused, don’t lose him
Ok, ok.. I’m trying..I’m trying
Alright, alright! Calm down
Ok…
He's turning left!
I can see that.... I can't see him anymore
Ok, I can still follow him
Right, you are on your own now

Hey..hey! What’s going on? Hey!
What? What happened, what is it?
I don’t know!
Tell me!
He got snatched!
What? How come?
I don’t know!. Another car cut in from the corner
My gosh!. And?
They bundled him in!
Heck!
We blew it!
That’s a near miss!
Yeah! we blew it!
A pity
Yeah!
He could fetch high!
Yeah! Seem very healthy
Yeah! Fair skinned
Yeah!
A multiple!
We’ll try again!
That’s the 3th person this week
Yeah, we bungled again.
Yeah, tough work!

   ……….an episode in an unfinished thriller tentatively titled ‘ The Human Harvesters’

Submitted to Tess' Magpie#88

Saturday, October 22, 2011

A Dream



Image1: Picture taken at the entrance of Disneyland. We had just parked the rented car and were proceeding excitedly to purchase the necessary tickets. From left: Daughter Azlin, son Hafidz and my loving wife Shadah.

Process note: Since the prompt calls for an Other voice, I had it made out from my daughter's voice of her reminiscences of those wonderful sojourn in Anaheim many years ago. Both Azlin and Hafidz were just kids then. Now they have kids of their own.

Happiest Place on Earth

It is a dream that I had dreamt
We are here and  I just couldn’t believe it
Barely a few weeks ago on a TV program
With Mum, Dad and Hafidz we were then watching 
Tagged the Happiest Place on Earth
Apparently Dad had long before decided and saved
Now is the time to make it happen

A flurry of events followed we later realized
Dad had made preparations but cooking up a surprise
Everything were ready, passports, luggage, light attire
And now we are here
Disneyland here we come
Wow, this is going to be fun!

Main Street  USA we give it a pass
We go to Fantasyland just as fast
What a Small World and Peter Pan
Space Mountain in Tomorowland
It is alive! The Haunted House
The Adventureland and Jungle Cruise
Frontierland and Thunder Mountain Railroad
Hafidz and I we are in the ‘Thrill’ mode
Taking snapshots Dad keeps himself busy
Showing  them in class they’ll be green with envy

The 3-day Passport  is not quite enough
But being here itself is heavenly, thank our lucky stars

Since we are in the vicinity, we get a peek at Las Vegas
Free meals in the casinos is widely advertised
Into the Nevada desert in the morning a leisurely ride
Another spectacle, the Hoover Dam, what a sight!

Tomorrow we go south to San Diego
Stopover at Capistrano to sight the swallows
Awaiting at Sea World a sight of fantasy
Of illustrious performances
Man and sea animals in unison
A scenic spectacle, a marvel to see 

I’ll always love my Daddy
For giving us this opportunity

Friday, October 21, 2011

Protests

Image1: This triggered it off, an Adbuster's campaign on Sept 17 showing a provocative poster of a ballerina dancing atop the famous bronze bull in NY's financial district as a group of protesters wearing gas masks approach behind her.

 Image2: The 99% poignantly depicted by a child in the face of corporate greed


Image3: Protesters on their knees affected by tear gas or pepper spray

(Picture Credit: Google images)

The 99% and the...                                                                                                     
                                    The rich are getting richer .While the average  ...per cent
                           Americans suffer. Bank bailouts of toxic sub-prime
              mortgages . Equaled  to huge bank profits as a consequence
           The manipulators ironically. Took these as their rightful bonus
                                Richest 1% of Americans are apparently.With
                                big fortunes but taxed at a lower rate than most.
                                Dissenting voices against the bailout.Contending
                                it as temporary life-support. Recapitalizing  or
                                nationalization as suggested. Of the ‘big financial
                                culprits’ went unheeded. So who were behind
                                the protests anyway?.Adbusters an anti capitalist
                                Canadian grouping. That saw a violent Occupy 
                                Wall Street uprising. It should trigger off like the
                                vicious Arab Spring. It rallied through the financial
                                districts. Around the world like the recent Arab
                                violence. Still in the news even this morning we
                                received. Of the demise of Gaddafi  the most elusive  
                                Holed up in the ground who meekly surrendered
                                Unlike Saddam, Gaddafi was bashed and battered

                                Are we to see one also on Wall Street. Not phys-
                                ically but certainly with the vehemence.Of ordinary
                                folks like you and me  in utter disappointment.The
                                pin-striped whiz kids accorded a likely similar fate.
                                President Obama certainly has a lot on his plate
                                Riding the re-election trail very gingerly. With imp
                                ending recession in the economy.Poverty and record
                                high repossessions.Unemployment sadly stood at 9%.
                                And that would also keep the Republicans busy.
                                In acrimonious debates vying against eachother.
                                Romney as  yet to pull away but seen a front runner
                                likely.The race to challenge. the President is getting nastier

Note: The above is the figure #1 so as to complete the 99% and the 1... per cent. 
Submitted for d'Verse Form ForAll

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

King

Image1: Granite Statue of Martin Luther King Jr
Picture Credit: Google Images  


Last Sunday at the dedication ceremony
In West Potomac Park in Washington DC
There assembled mostly African Americans
In honor of one who galvanized the aspirations
Of a movement in the 60s, one Martin Luther King Jr

A massive statue carved out of white granite
The likeness of King gazing out arms folded
Over a people still in conflict until recently
None other than President Obama himself
Who gracefully officiated at the ceremony
A President who raised the bar, epitomizing the zenith
Of the Americans as we know of them now as a people
Standing tall irrespective of race and creed but united

In his bid for a second term of a struggle incomplete of
A country out of recession and the formidable Republicans
We can only stand in awe of him tackling issues inherited
Compounded with economic woes looming of the EEC
Come November 2012 we can only wait and see!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Limerick 3

Had submitted this ‘naughty limerick’ to Madeleine Begun Kane's Humor Blog. Thought I’d just post it here for the fun of it. The prompt given was ‘A fellow who’d taken a shot’ and we are to complete the rest. Here goes!

A fellow who’d taken a shot
Weed, ice he couldn’t have been bothered
He laid in a stupor
Hoping it was forever
His wife moved in with a young guy as a swop

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Child Labour


Picture Credit: Grandma's Goulash

Survival

Lonely child
Toiling till dusk
To help feed hungry siblings
Commonly a third world phenomena
To supplement meagre
Earnings of parents

(140 characters)

Inspired by Grandma's Goulash MicroFiction with prompt - toil-
and Poetry Pantry #71

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Tigers

Image1: Tseng Yani, a Taiwanese, the World's #1. The youngest, male or female with 5 major wins including the 2011 British Open

Image2: With the 2011 British Open Trophy
Photo Credits: From Google images

The Female Tiger

They converged, 9 of the world’s top 10
For the 2nd Sime Darby LPGA tournament
At the KLGCC pitting their prowess
Led by last year’s  inaugural winner
World’s #1 Tseng Yani , a Taiwanese professonal
Who came with impressive credentials

Dubbed the female Tiger
And currently on the US LPGA Tour
For the 2nd day yesterday she carded a four-under 67
To surge into reckoning for a share of the 3rd spot
At eight- under 134,  within striking distance of the leaders

The leader, Stacy Lewis with a record breaking feat
Sizzled with a 65 at nine-under to share the lead
With Brittany Lang (the 2011 British Open  runner-up ) at 133
Thanks on the back nine to a string of 6 birdies

Going into the 3rd round today though
Both shouldn’t be too happy
As others on the leaderboard
Are too close for comfort
Going into the weekend we’ll see
Some fun it’s going to be

What of the male Tiger lurking in the Woods
He recovered on the endorsement trail
After losing out big time on lucrative deals
He lost Tag Heur but recently gained Rolex
Not much can be said of his recovery  in play
Since the fiasco had not won any on the fairway

At a recent tournament it happened
Had the indignity of a sausage thrown at him
Fans are expecting 2012 to be a good year
So is Tiger, I’m sure!

Updates:
3rd Round Scores Oct 15, 2011 (Sat)
201: Choi Na-yeon (Kor) 66-68-67;
202: Brittany Lang (US) 66-67-69;
203: Azahara Munoz (Spa) 67-68-68;
205: Pak Se-ri (Kor) 72-68-65, Stacy Lewis (US) 68-65-72, Tseng Yani (Tpe) 69-67-69;
World's #4, Choi is leading the pack. Previous joint leaders Lang is 2nd and Lewis is 4th bunched together with Yani. The battle for the Final Day (today) is thrown open as any one of them stands an even chance.

4th and Final Round Oct 16th, 2011
Choi Na-yeon (Kor) won the title by one stroke from Taiwan's Tseng Yani.  Choi carded rounds of 66-68-67-68 for a 15-under 269



Thursday, October 13, 2011

Ways of Saying it!

                                                                         'Lace' by William Henry Fox Talbot

Picture Credit: Courtesy of Poetry Jam
Note: Riding on the '13 Ways' in d'Verse prompts me  to submit this '20 ways'

20 Ways of Saying it!

What a laugh!
The edges of the lace
Having gone through the laundry
Is best described as ghostly ,
recoiled, remade, redundant, regrettable, ravaged, ruptured , rankled, rueful 
a razzmatazz, relapsed with remorse, remonstrating, reproach, replete with
a rejoinder, restricting robust use,
a ruse in rustic repulsion!

Whew! Let’s down a beer!
So, who’s the wise guy?


Submitted for d'Verse Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft
and Poetry Jam , Assignment with picture prompt, 'lace' and the words laugh, edges, laundry, ghost, beer

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Mask

Picture Credit: Google Images

The King's twin brother
Or a more sinister contention
An illegitimate brother
No one knows
The Man in the Iron Mask
Question unanswered

(139 characters)

MicroFiction : Inspired by prompt - mask

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Grandfather

Picture Credit: Google images ( for illustration purposes, not the one I saw)

(Apologies! Please disregard #118 as it did'nt register)

Chimes of Old

Likeness of Big Ben
An element so sublime
Faithfully on time

Sharp eyes eagle like
Surveying  the ambience
Soldierly upright

Announcing itself
Menacingly visible
Breaking the silence

A chime sounded loud
Regal like and standing tall
The  grandfather’s clock

Note: I saw an 'ancient' grandfather's clock standing alone in an antique shop last weekend that inspired me. Since there's no prompt and Friday the 13th gets me stumped, I'll just settle for the 'ancient gentleman'

Submitted for d'Verse at Open Link Night week 13

Microfiction Again

Picture Credit: Grandma's Goulash - Succinctly yours

Grandma

Resplendent in a blue suit
Grandma is trying to keep pace
Mindful of the carpet
She inched slowly
She was once lost
When she missed a turn

(139 characters)
(Note: I used to love Susan's Microfiction before but it was discontinued. I just got onto Grandma's and I welcome Grandma's with open arms)

Inspired by Grandma's Goulash with prompt - resplendent

Monday, October 10, 2011

Rivers

Picture Credit: Google images

A Benefit Most Times

Free flowing gushing
Down the hillsides
From little rivulets
Glistening in the morning sun
Meeting like movements
Feigned orderly nonchalant laziness
Upon reaching leveled grounds
Meandering around strong boulders
Obligatory in extending life support
To living creatures seeking refuge
In solemn agreement to provide solace
A yardstick measured in benefits
Undeterred by intimidating natural occurrences

But of deluge splayed across the plains
Undermining flora and fauna
Scampering to avoid the power
Lashing downstream in obese magnitude
Flattening everything in its path
In shambles unaccounted for
Of dwellings, limbs of animals and man
Threatening the livelihood of countless

But wait!
Rivers are a source of life and energy
Benefiting mankind
In all its propensity
In good times when cleverly harnessed
Magnanimous in its kindness

Inspired by One Single Impression Prompt 189 - River

Sunday, October 9, 2011

It Happened!

Mr President: Bidding for 2nd term
Picture Credit: Google images

Not Impossible

A gift for the Queen
From Hillary and Tenzing
Everest conquered

End of the decade
Kennedy set the target
Neil did it in style

The Berlin Wall fell
The Soviet Union broke up
Not impossible!

Beat the odds before
Bidding for his second term
Will succeed again!

Inspired by Haiku Heights #89 with prompt - 'impossible'

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Migration

 Image1 : Migratory birds in formation flying south

 Image2: A mockingbird, one of the migratory kinds.

Image3: A heron with a fine pose, resting by the water
Picture Credit: Google Images

Annual Happenings

With the impending end of Autumn and approaching cold weather, the annual migration is slated to begin. In our part of the world we are privileged to see them frolicking in the lakes en route south. Colorful species of varied sizes and shapes just for a few days and off again.

Flying  just above
Flair for the right direction
Led in formation

Instinct plays its part
Heading south with a purpose
Bright, cool warm colors

Tired bones rested
Vast waters in the tropics
Innocent frolics

To escape the cold
In an annual pilgrimage
Of varied plumage

Note: Going by the info, this is more of  Haiku than Senryu.

Submitted for Sensational Haiku Wednesday.with prompt - Flair
                     d'Verse Haiku and Senryu

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Dreaded


Picture Credit: Google Images

One way to slow down or even reverse the possibility is to do cross-word puzzles, exercising the mind and enjoying it, besides clean living and stress avoidance. I have as yet to hear whether blogging feverishly can help, after all we exercise our minds too!... Argh.....

An Affliction

Withering away of ability
Glasses precariously balanced
On the bridge
Treading carefully
Feeble

Rugged landscape to fathom
On their own
Innocence in slow movements
Cane in hand
Bent

Memory had taken flight
Repeated questions asked
Visitors taken aback
None really cared
Lost

Dependents confused
Not exposed  to such encounters
Questioned  the  behavior
Refused to understand
Frustrations

The debilitating effects
Shared by a few, no escaping
Second childhood dubbed by the Bard
Afflicting the aged
Dreaded

Alzheimer a bane in the Golden Years slowly stealing away all human dignity of those unfortunates who suffer without friends

Submitted to OpenLinkNight - Week12

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Strange


Picture Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

Note: Apologies. My earlier posting at #4 did not register. I'm re-posting again the same Magpie at #35

What else?

Have you seen what I did see
Smiling giraffes snugly in bed
A pair of tigers merrily in a taxi
Or a snake hissing riding a bike

Strange happenings are in the air
In the sitting room a ‘roo on a  chair
With a pair of alligators full of hair
Watching TV with a horse and a mare

A gorilla atop the huge chandelier
Swinging with a canary to the music of rock
A bear with a lion’s mane as headgear
Curled together a cat and a dog

Would you then be outwardly surprised
To see a slow loris wailing, happily singing
On the desktop dancing, teeming with mice
A  pair of ostrich on a couch nearby necking

What else is new?
Dropping  from the sky an elephant with wings!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

An Icon

Picture Credit: Google Images

Dean

A heart throb
You came on the scene
Made a flash a fleeting appearance
Scared the daylights
Of peers and others around you
Rebel  Without A Cause

Oh! How they swooned and moan
Natalie was a gem
To hold you spellbound
Extended all the support
A pretty lass
Your following wanting more

The big names Hudson,Taylor
Were cast with you
But you stood tall
A couple of starring roles just
Written in the stars
Destined for fame
But alas,
That fateful day
In a moment of shocking encounter
The unbelievable
A disaster
A crash, a car crash
Snuffed the young life
A bright future already in hand
In the middle of the making
Of Giant, disrupting the scene
To save the day
A double was brought in

Shattered  the dreams of many
The teeny, the young and the old
A legend upon your demise
Obliterated from the scene though
But in place an icon was born
Untimely but never forgotten
Broken hearts aplenty
Chanting
Dean, James Dean! 

Inspired by d'Verse Poetics with prompt Pop Art