An Awakening

Image:1 Never know until you've tried

(Picture Credit: courtesy of Poets United's , vice/versa)

True to form, like wearing other's shoes

We could understand better other's blues

An awakening not burdened with guilt

A distraction, a sound a likely cause of a jolt

For we might not realize what that entailed

When we seek why they had failed

We should not ourselves choose to restrain

It'll be an education if we could feel the pain

The universe is there to garner the facts

Hold on yet, or suffer in silence, give it a check

Go then find out from where you can get

The match searing the heart you’ve not met

Let’s consider some necessary steps to take

Be ambitious and test the stakes

The whole world to see where it leads

In all innocence go for a  wholesome thrust till it bleeds

No holds barred, no wisdom marred .

Give it all you’ve got, give it a shot.

When you’re done, reflect on your wants

If it’s tough give it a laugh

Venture out push for a long ride

You never know until you’ve tried

Submitted to Poet United Vice/Versa weekly prompt#5 sound/silence and guilt/innocence and d'Verse OpenLinkNights week 29

Longings

                                                                Wassily Kandisky - Red Spot II 1921

Picture Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie  

    

Colors and lights full of promise

Minding its stores tenaciously

Bid me a time, for I wish

just seconds to whet my appetite. I’m longing

for the myriads of possibilities.

Serve me the garnish that I may devour

The goodness of being alone

with you as company, as before

I’ve never been a bore

and so are you. Can we just hit it off

from where we left of?
You and your wonderful ways

Ever so thoughtful of my feelings

and idiosyncrasies.

And me rash and brash but ever so loving.

Young hearts we were but not anymore.

You are just as lovely now as before
Must this happen, I just wonder why

As on the day you said good-bye!

Inspired by Tess' Magpie #102 , Poetry Pantry #85 and Jingle Poetry

Rage

 Image:1 Crimson with anger

Image:2 Undercurrents within in tranquility
(Photo Credit : Google images)

Bloodshot eyes glaring

Fists clenched, growling, eyes staring

Had one too many

Step aside give way
No one bothered no one cared
Been blind to the threat

Asking for trouble
In no mood to be friendly

Crimson with anger

Just cross not his path

Unwittingly the faint hearted

May not have realized

The matured few view

Undercurrents of anger

With disdain and awe

Submitted for Haiku Heights with prompt 'Crimson' and d'Verse's Poetics 'undercurrents'

A Japanese Fare

 Image:1 Qhaty, Hafidz and little Naqip. He is a big boy, really! Remember the drama others went through when he made his presence felt? (here)

 Image:2 Little Naqip, Madeleine (their Filipino maid) Sarah Ayesha and Shadah, my loving wife

 Image:3 My grandsons Kimie and Nabil

 Image:4 My other grandson Norman

 Image:5 The tempura that I had. This was after the sushi that I had earlier

 Image:6 The tappenyaki which I thought was less filling until I saw the amount after the frying.

Image:7 The sharks fin and soba noodles and ice kacang at the back.
There were a host of other dishes left untouched. Otherwise I would need to be carried down to the car for the journey back.

Note: My elder son Hafidz and his charming wife Qhaty invited us for lunch today. ‘We’re going Japanese buffet. It’ll be at the same venue that we had before’ they said. This is an ‘eat as much as you can joint’.

I remember what happened the last time. I was naughty the last time. I ate as much as I could and was breathless with a full tummy when we left . I told myself  I would be less naughty today and would exercise utmost care not to overeat.

Japanese buffet

Eat as much as you can eat

It’s a tall order

Would I be naughty?

Tendency is to do so

Must control myself

No sushi with rice

Other offerings would do

These are less filling

I was still naughty

Japanese food was much fun

I could not help it

Belimbing

 Image:1 A bunch of belimbing on the tree in the backyard

 Image:2 Taken from another angle of the same tree. The flowers are seen on the right side, red in color

Image:3 A close up from another part of the tree. As can be seen the end is rounded but the five parts are still visible

Note: Smaller in size than a starfruit but rounded not star shaped. Measures about 6cm (2.5 inch) The tree in our backyard sprouted a generous offering which I snapped a week ago. Very sour, can be taken raw but not munched as a fruit. It is an appetizer taken together with meals. I've seen 3 types of preparations. The first is sambal where two of the fruits are pounded with chili and fish paste (or with anchovies instead of fish paste) Secondly a number of them are sliced in half and cooked with fish, coconut milk and a little cinnamon. Thirdly, it is dried and included as one of the items in an Indian pickles like, together with lime,carrots,cherries,olives and others. My mouth waters thinking about them!

Very much sour

Distant cousin of starfruit

Mixed with anchovies

And pounded chillies

Whets the appetite with meals

In place of chutney

Dash of cinnamon

With fish and coconut milk

Turned into a dish

Together with lime

Thrown in as one of items

To make mixed pickles

Submitted to d'Verse OpenlinkNights

The Lady is Fair Game

                                                                     Boris Hoppek's Tokyo exhibit 'Ever'
Image1: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

Time out!!

Whassup!

Let me see again. This a new game you said! We’ve been at it for the past hour. I have as yet to be told the name of the game. You said it is not strip poker. Ok, that’s fine. Rightly so. We’re not having any card games, anyway. But the way this game is going seems odd.

There’s nothing odd. It is all fair and square

Fair you said?  Look at me. I’m all tied up like a sushi, fair you said?

But you were out voted.

But...

You know the rules

But the rules keep changing!

As long as you are out voted you have to do our  bidding

But there are 5 of you guys! I get outvoted most times

No, Joe was the first to be outvoted

Ok, I know that

Followed by Jack...

I know that too!

And then it was Steve...

Yes, but they’re  all dressed up! I'm all but naked

No, Joe was Tarzan, remember? Loin clothed and all

Okayy....

And Jack was Robinson Crusoe. You even requested a bare-backed Robinson Crusoe.

But it’s not the same! A half-naked guy is not the same as for a lady!

Why not?

I was de Milo and who would have heard of a naked Lady Chatterley

But Lady Chatterley had to be naked to do all those things

And you all made me trot around the room  shouting ‘I’m Godiva’ for the third one and …

But we have no horses here for you ……that was hilarious!

And now this!…a naked sushi me!

We’re having fun! Aren’t you?

I am, but…

Shall we continue?

Okaaay….! But I still don’t know what’s the game called!

Submitted for Magpie#101

Starfruit

Image: 1 My pencil sketch of a starfruit

Shaped like one as named

Starfruit star shaped thou so  blessed

One so succulent

Crunchy and so sweet

Taken raw or plain juicing

Vitamin C rich

High water content

To quench the thirst so ideal

Enticing health-wise

Is good for the heart

Not seasonal  by  nature

Seen throughout the year

FB

Image by Farmville through Google Images

FAD

FB where’s the beef

Lately some changes made

Some expressed opinions on this

On the other hand some are not bothered

Sure, it intruded unto our lives

Facing the screen for hours

We no longer socialize

We hate meeting and conversing with friends

Life is just not the same

Sure, we prefer to poke or like or comment

Better yet to check on Farmville

In the early mornings

To start crop planting

To make sure it’s completed

So as to resume during lunch-time

Sure, we just can’t help it

We are now addicts

It’s not a fad

We’re addicted

Termed FAD by the doctor

Facebook Addiction Disorder

We’re to seek medical advice

A move considered wise

Remember it’s a FAD

We’ve been had

Submitted to Grandma's Goulash WWR

Tsunami

                                                                               taylor, jason decaires

Image:1 Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

 Image:2 Dainty little cottages hurriedly constructed, typical of post Tsunami construction patterns

 Image:3 One of the memorials of mass graves

 Image:4 Life goes on. Taken at the week-end market on Jan 15,2012

 Image:5 The imposing International Airport completed in 2008 apparently with the German government's assistance

Image:6 One of the many billboards imploring for the tourist dollar

I was in Bandar Acheh for the week-end. Not much of the remnants of destruction of the 2004 tsunami are seen on the ground. Reconstruction had apparently taken a fast pace the past 7 years.

They were overwhelmed

Walls of water stories high

It came suddenly

A city flattened

Devastation in its wake

Human lives were snuffed

Seven years after

A people vindicated

Unhindered with pride

Inspired by Tess' Magpie#100

Limericks 9

Submitted to Madeleine Kane's Humor Blog who provided the first line and we were to continue.

Apologies: Been on the road of and on and again this week-end. Have not responded to many in last 2 postings. Will make amends upon my return.

kaykuala says:

November 27, 2011 at 9:56 pm

A fellow whose last dime was spent                       

Still mystified where the rest went

Just some while

Friends went wild

Grim lesson of friends not worth a cent

kaykuala says:

November 20, 2011 at 9:51 pm

A gal was attempting to eat                                        

Adorned herself pretty looking neat

Played hard to get

Much to her regret

Ended hungry just shuffling her feet

Note: Will be out of state for the week-end. Will be back by Jan 16th but off again in 3rd week of Jan.

Rough Diamonds

Picture Credit: Google Images

Young Upstarts

Dare make an attempt

Fascination struck softly

None that are refined

Mark of innocence

Reckless show of defiance

Unrelenting kinds

Juvenile and crude

Not one to be seen friendly

Unbridled upstarts

Unflinching movements

Rough diamonds lack polishing

But all is not lost!

Haiku inspired for d'Verse OpenLinkNight

The Actor

                                                                                                  Image: Lee Friedlander
Image:1 Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

 Image:2 As King Mongkut in 'The King and I'

 Image:3 As Chris in 'The Magnificent Seven'

Yul Brynner

The King and I

You'll remember the Yul guy

Being a baldy

Has respectability
He was Rameses II
In the 10 Commandments

He was Magnificent

One of the 7

His commanding stance

Across the distance

Sharp eyes piercing

Sets the skyline burning

A semblance of authority

Of Hollywood's fraternity

Not just an accomplished actor

But also a photographer

Such is the aura

Of an icon from Mongolia

Where he claimed part ancestry

But Russian-born in reality

Inspired by Tess' Magpie #99 and submitted to Real Toad's OpenLinkNight and Poet's United The Poetry Pantry

Colorful Start

Image:1 Colors

(Picture Credit: Poetry Jam)

Image:2 The NBC Peacock

Note: SparkleFarkle in the first comment alluded to the colorful outstretched feathers of the NBC Peacock. I thought it cool to have the image uploaded here. Thanks Sparkle Ma'am!

Color me blue

Ain’t no use crying

If things aren’t working well

Warm tears flowing

Nothing to stop the blues

Eyes red bloodshot hues

Likening to the blue Danube

That overflows its banks

A Purple Heart signifies

Valor in men

Soldiers in blue

Contrasts the Red Army

A Green Revolution

Is a preferred solution

A duel to the death

Is just a memory

Now the  contenders  jostle

Within the party

Seeking endorsements

Of the GOPs

As they proceed

To consolidate their positions

It is now the next round

Debates most profound

New Hampshire beckons

Note: The first part has to do with a lot of colors. The second part strayed to the current Presidential debates which are just as colorful.

Submitted for Poetry Jam with prompt - 'Color Your Life'

The Republican

Image:1  Mitt Romney

(Picture Credit: Google images)

A Challenger?

A unique system

A democratic process

Iowa’s caucuses kicked off

The Presidential campaign’s lead-off

A known significance

Of a  good showing in Iowa’s

Are eventual Republican challengers

A narrow margin

For Romney a slim win

All of his own bidding

The Democrats are waiting

The world is watching

Submitted for Grandma's Goulash WWR 2012 #1

Partners

                                                     River  -  Marina Moevs 2005
Picture Credit: Tess' Magpie

Hippos,Piranha and Crocs 

Illuminating
Life forms cavorting below
Serene and peaceful

Idyllic and calm
Solidarity engaged
Luxuriant stillness

Unsuspecting souls
Be mindful murky waters
Danger lurks beneath

Toppling hippo backs
Gnashing sharp teeth,snapping jaws
Macabre carnage

Submitted to Tess' Magpie #98 and d'Verse OpenLinkNight week25