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'

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 

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

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 1^st, 2^nd and 5^thlines should rhyme together and these are longer sentences. The 3^rd and 4^thshould rhyme together and these are shorter. That’s the basics that I understand without regard to meters which gets me stumped.

 Secondly, the 5^th line provides a ‘punch-line’ sort of. When we are done with reading the 5^th 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’

Submitted for d'Verse OpenLinkNight Week 15

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 him. Do 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 3^th 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

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

Submitted to d'Verse Poetics - the Other

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

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!

Submitted to d'Verse Open Link Nights Week #14

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

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

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 2^nd 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 2^nd day yesterday she carded a four-under 67

To surge into reckoning for a share of the 3^rd 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 3^rd 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

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

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

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

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

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'

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

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

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!

Inspired by Willow's Magpie #85

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