Thursday, April 2, 2015

The color green is special

Image1:  Hank, at 19 years (left) and Michael Yoong, at 17 years 
communicating during military exercise at the Annual Camp 1963 

Image 2: Michael Yoong ( fondly called Dr Michael Young by his patients)
now happily retired in New Jersey doting on his granddaughter together with his
loving daughter Irene Yoong

Earlier postings of life in the Royal Military College
1. Capt (later Col) Jim Bradley (here)
2. Annual Camp 1963 (here)
3. In the Nick of Time - Kelantan River Expedition (here)

C for Color Green

The color green is special
Soft and friendly environment
Bathed in a soothing spectacle
Pleasing to the sight
That greets one in the early morning mist
Relaying a peaceful message
From the night before
Of great significance to Hank
When growing up
Of an institution akin to the 'House that 
built you' in character and in person
Yes, an institution steeped in military
tradition based on
the color of Jungle Green
Hank found himself as a scraggly innocent
Barely 15 years of age
Accepted and admitted into the 
Royal Military College years ago
A premier school
That was when color green got 
embedded fondly
for a little corner in his heart
Modelled roughly along those
of West Point and Sandhurst
But from the High School years
with option to take on a military
career or stay on civvy street
Hank chose to stay on in civvy street
But with great memories of challenges
of a soldier-boy which other teenagers
could just dream of!

For Mama Zen's hosting at Real Toads - The
House that Built You
Blogging from A to Z Challenge - C

19 comments:

  1. The other teenagers could dream of playing soldier but it takes time, training, and discipline to make a good soldier. You choice to stay on civvy street might have been for the best.
    I was in the Army for five years but also decided to stay civvy. I did learn a skill from which I made a career in electronics and aerospace engineering with NASA.
    ..

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  2. Some play at war while others go to war. My father was in WWII as well as my father-in-law. I have one nephew who retired from the marines and one nephew who spent five years in the marines.

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  3. How amazing, to learn military skills so young! I am glad you branched out into civvy street later — safer, one hopes.

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  4. Green; the colour of burgeoning life.

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  5. an amazing photo. you're no longer green, but you are, aren't you? cool pen, Hank ~

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  6. Wow, you look at you! Training is hard-
    I am glad you chose ciwy street-it is a difficult life with many shadows~
    Your house is forever green~

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  7. Great poem Hank. Green is a lovely colour, so many wonderful things in nature is green. Well done.

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  8. Thanks for sharing this and love that photo! Interesting to think about what may have followed along the path not taken. Would you still write poetry?

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  9. Wow, Royal Military College! What an honor.

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  10. You were lucky enough to have gotten the experience & memories, Hank! Being in Military service is such a noble thing, but staying in the civvy street takes courage & a wider responsibility, IMHO. There's always a hero deep within us that doesn't require what kind of place we should be in today but only a heart that's willing to care for others. Smiles. Great stories I so enjoyed to read, Hank!

    - ksm

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  11. Had to have picked up many skills, but yeah, civvy street is the safer one to follow, hopefully.

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  12. 15 seems very young for military academy but I'm sure the experiences must be part of who you are today.

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  13. Every experience makes us and you must have had a lot there

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  14. Wow, Hank! What an amazing experience that must have been!

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  15. Some of the kids around here join Jr. Rotc in middle school even. It's highly popular. I don't know if there are military academies for high school, however.

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  16. Green makes wonderful things. And when it's not making, it helps us keep our vision clear so that we won't miss what we must see to survive. I like it!

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  17. Wow...I love the way you begin with green and then carry your reader into what it means for you...powerful.

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  18. Hank, everyone finds home in a different place, in their own way. Sounds like you had a good head start on adult life through finding a good environment. Love you! A

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  19. I love this! Green is my favorite color. :)

    -Chrys Fey
    Tremp’s Troops - A to Z Co-co-host
    Write with Fey

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