Moment in Time

                                                                       Portrait by J.B.Yeats
Image: A youthful W.B Yeats drawn by his father JB
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

The thoughts drifted I had my share
To times long past to times laid bare
I had the wisdom I had her praised
Her image so clear I was amazed

And yet for all that I had felt so right
Believing every word that I had said,
I praised her that made her eyes grow bright
Basking in that special moment's limelight

We sat silent she'd not said a word,

Were it not for the ridiculous crowds that meet
A heart that laughter had made so sweet
Would not know until we walked the very street
Whereon a thing once walked, for one to greet

We walked silently without a word

Suspicious darting eyes of sorts
Friendly folks but we let them be
Slowly and surely without a nod
We passed them by in all dignity

Hand in hand in a world of our own
Two souls but with one heart all alone

Note: I had based the above from the poem below,

A Memory Of Youth
(by William Butler Yeats)

THE moments passed as at a play;
I had the wisdom love brings forth;
I had my share of mother-wit,
And yet for all that I could say,
And though I had her praise for it,
A cloud blown from the cut-throat North
Suddenly hid Love's moon away.
Believing every word I said,
I praised her body and her mind
Till pride had made her eyes grow bright,
And pleasure made her cheeks grow red,
And vanity her footfall light,
Yet we, for all that praise, could find
Nothing but darkness overhead.
We sat as silent as a stone,
We knew, though she'd not said a word,
That even the best of love must die,
And had been savagely undone
Were it not that Love upon the cry
Of a most ridiculous little bird
Tore from the clouds his marvellous moon.
ALTHOUGH crowds gathered once if she but showed her face,
And even old men's eyes grew dim, this hand alone,
Like some last courtier at a gypsy camping-place
Babbling of fallen majesty, records what's gone.
These lineaments, a heart that laughter has made sweet,
These, these remain, but I record what-s gone. A crowd
Will gather, and not know it walks the very street
Whereon a thing once walked that seemed a burning cloud

Written for Anna at d' Verse with Meeting the Bar - Erasure poetry

Rich and Poor

                                                                          Picture by Jamie Davies
Image: Banner 'Capitalism Plunders' at G20 Meltdown Protest, London 2009
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Haves and the haves-not
Social conflicts besetting
deemed rich and real poor

Bridging the wide gap
To right the social fabric
Fairness to the fore

Capitalism
as against socialism
keeps grinding the wheels

Given the present,
Capitalism leads the
way, widening still!

Written for Ella's at Poets United's Wonder Wednesday #11 with prompt -bridge-

A Lone Survivor

                                                                            Picture: Red Chair (source here)
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Life's tragedy of a sad reminder sadly
Wherein the aim staying at its prime
With expectations of rehabilitation
Patiently waiting, they came and went

All of them, they had all gone
They took all one by one
The furniture, furnishings, everything
In the name of development and progress
Except the red chair no less

Made to wait to know its fate
For what reasons no one knows
perhaps,

The upholsterer would have got it freed
or,
The wrecking crew, a casualty of the developer's greed

Written for Tess' Magpie 145

Appreciation

                                                                            Picture by Bohringer Friedrich .
Image: Large flowering head of a matured sunflower
Sourced  through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Given to niceties
When growing up through the  years
Life had been forgiving

Now more towards
challenging times
Opening up to old age

Health-wise afflictions
slowly creep in,on the quiet
but progressively

Testing times on hold
or arrested wholly, lucky me
Work or at play one takes
the middle road

Thankful for the morrow
That offers so much for those
who strive at their own pace

Written for Sam's Forms for All at d'Verse with theme 'Giving Thanks'

Beach

 Image:1 Hank at the beach in Bali. The hotel conveniently fronts the beach

 Image: 2 Azhar my youngest having the time of his life

Image:3 Shadah with Azhar (some Aussies in the background)

Sea breeze nodding by
Rapport with the light waves to
quiet slow ripples

Hitting the beach to
countless holiday-makers
enjoying the sun

Ravenous tsunami
Not part of the equation
On with it, people!

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #51 with prompt -beach-

Wrestling

                                                                  Picture by Staff Sgt Jason Carter USMC
Image: Capt F Workman USMC competing in a Greco-Roman bout
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Physical combat
sport. Grappling opponents with
locks, holds and take downs

Greco-Roman style
No tripping but to pin down
to register wins

Freestyle allows more
use of  legs by both, thrilling
variety of moves

Written for Jenn's Sensational Haiku Wednesday #178 with theme, freestyle and Brian's hosting at d'Verse OpenLinkNights week 71

Rose

                                                                      Attribution to Fir0002/Flagstaffotos
Image: A Wild Rose
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Regal dominance
Rose,by any other name
Gracious in beauty

Thorny but perfumed
Nature's benevolence, a
protective stance

Myriads of colors
Radiant, undeterred by
vagaries of weather

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #49, with prompt, Rose

Warehouse

                                                                               Squall 1986 by Andrew Wyeth

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Trees kept wondering

Saplings outside the warehouse

Full grown since stood tall

Crowds streamed endlessly

in but emptiness at dusk

Misty in the dark

Accentuating

suspicions were crates moved in

in stealth of late nights

Note: Was on the road. This was meant for the preceding Haiku Heights ( trees) and d'Verse ( photos) Had it adjusted for these later submissions.Will catch up with comments of those on my recent postings shortly. (apologies!)

Written for Tess' Magpie 144, Chev' CARPE DIEM #48 with prompt Mist and Poet's United Poetry Pantry #124

Mona Lisa

                                                                                          Picture by Edal Anton Lefterov                                                         

Image: Visitors of the Louvre in front of the Mona Lisa

Image sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci,has been acclaimed as "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world" - Wiki

Adorned at a section of the Louvre

A permanent display on  view

Who was she of mysterious identity

Was it a portrait of Lisa Gherardini

None could  claim with all certainty

But it created an aura that captivated many

Fascination with the smile over many a century

Had subjected it to numerous cases  of study

But sadly

Being acclaimed had created envy

In minds of those wrought with insanity

To cause mischief with impunity

Peruggia a Louvre employee

Had it stolen to return it to Italy

Vandalized  with quite a variety

A rock, a mug, red paint, and acid damaged it severely

But restoration effected with all ingenuity

In a  bulletproof glass case for safety

The enigmatic smile accorded immunity

Now preserved for posterity

Written for Victoria, hosting at d'Verse with prompt Meeting the Bar - Literary Allusion 

Target Practice

Image: An old picture taken after weapons training lessons. Two LMG's seen in the foreground.
From Left: Squatting - Rahman Torch, M.Sham ( Datuk) Aji ( Datuk, Dr) Standing: Hooi, Razali Bai, Daniel Chan (deceased) and Hank

‘Fire’!, familiar call

Saturday’s weapons training

Self Loading Rifles

For target practice

Outer, Inner, Magpie,Bull

Butt Party’s  response

Live bullets were used

Fun, but just as dangerous

A teenager’s dream

Process Notes:  Hank had his secondary education  ( equivalent to High School years ) at the Royal Military College.  Military Training, comprising, Parades, Weapons Training and Map-Reading were on every Saturday mornings. Target Practice was just one aspect of weapons training.  It was at the 100-meter Shooting Range using Self Loading Rifles ( SLR ) or Light Machine Guns ( LMG) with .303 live ammo. The Butt Party at the far end would indicate after each shot  the outcome.  It could be  a Bull’s- Eye,  Magpie, Inner , Outer  or off target. It was fun!

Written for Joe's hosting at d”Verse’s OpenLinkNights week 70 and Chev’s  CARPE DIEM # 45 with prompt - fire-

School Holidays

Image:1 The neighborhood kids. Kimie got them all rounded up. From left: Abu, Daniel (of Portuguese/French parentage) Norman (foreground) and Kimie (at the background) both my grandchildren, Dickson (Chinese) and Imran ( of Malay/Chinese parentage )

Image:2 They came for a tame birthday do. It was Kimie's. He turned 10 on Nov 09! Among themselves they are a neat group. Last night both Norman and Kimie were at a sleep-over at Daniel's house! Daniel's family will be leaving for home ( in France) in Dec. They're making the most of each other now!

The school holidays are here again!  It’s practically mid-November through early January!  Those younger ones are already at it. It’s the carefree days for them beginning this week. Those older ones are mentally sweating it out. They are in the midst of major exams that will eventually determine directions for their future. As for the minders  (I for one) we have to think of ways to ease off the boredom. It’s a pretty long stretch and activities must have variety to make it interesting for them.

The choice is an open book.Trips overseas (not many can afford that) Trips inland, excursions that cost less, entertainment centers at the Mall, private clubs ( here ) or just freebies at the beach or libraries. Whatever it might be, it'll be thrilling time! Childhood days are never forgotten!

School is over, great!

The neighborhood kids are here

They do their own thing

Minders are busy

thinking ahead on how to

fill up their free time

It is a challenge

Must be interesting but

cost is a factor 

Written for Real Toad's Open Link Monday

Verdun

                                                                             Verdun 1917 by Felix Vallotton 

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

Man against man

A common cause

of human conflict

A flare up of fire power

A common course

of conflict resolution

A test of strength

A show of strength

The Battle of Verdun

Soldiers against soldiers

Reportedly the longest

For the whole of ten months

One of the most devastating

In World War One

A war to end all wars

So it was known

But human conflicts persist

To this day battles rage

Now soldiers against civilians

with added precision

A crying shame

Excuses so lame

Women and children are game

Collateral damage is the name

A description given

without conscience

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #143

Anti-War

Image: War Veterans Marching in Boston

Image Source: Through Wikimedia Commons (here)

A gun in his hand

Folks all around him

Fallen unlucky ones

Others looking grim

Where does it all end

Months here without relief

Tour of duty a second time

Something’s got to give

Came by in the night

All on his own, alone

His gun viciously sprayed

Dead more than a dozen

Back home he is on trial

‘Revenge killing’ so it seems

All alone facing the rap

But is it fair only him?

Those that he didn’t trust

Sent him there for what reason

Others showed their disgust

Jon Michael Turner for one (here)

Written for Karin's Poetics - Making Peace at d'Verse

The Blue Nile

                                                                                  Picture by Dr Peter Jeschofnig

Image: The Blue Nile C Falls
Image sourced through Wikimedia Commons under licence (here)

The Blue Nile is a river of Ethiopia, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile, the other being the White Nile.

I am done with you

Blue, does it occur to you

you are depressing

Funny enough, blue

is peaceful,  a color of

love, so well defined

Blue of a sky and

accompanied with sunshine

is one so refined

Blameless of umbrage

misunderstood for long and

unfairly treated

Why then treat you with

disdain, not wanting to get

acquainted for what?

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #39 a haiku set with prompt -blue-

Hibiscus

Image: Hank snapped this lovely hibiscus this morning. I was elated this being the first bloom of a cutting Shadah had planted some time earlier in the year.

Want to share a secret?

(click here, it's no regret)

It’s the rhyming genius

Spiced with great images

Few had signed the forms

To perform at an audition

That is Pat’s rhyming show

And what do you know!

Hank is featured FIRST!

Pardon this outburst

This is plain happiness

But, this is not the secret

Happiness happened earlier

An episode quite familiar

Shadah’s cutting bloomed a first

Of a lovely red hibiscus

Still the secret this is not

But it’s the hibiscus rather

It's our national flower! 

Note: The hibiscus is the national flower of Malaysia

Written for OpenLinkNight at d'Verse week 69

I Am A Lady

                                         Charis, Lake Ediza, California, 1937 by Edward Weston

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

I am staying put

I am not moving

Where is the chivalry

That I long for

that you are so sure of having

that makes you a man

I am a lady treat me like one

I may be garbed in army fatigues

But I can still be lady-like

I may sit in this unorthodox fashion

But I’m just as sexy

Who is there to tell me otherwise

The fact that I’m in fatigues

Allowed me the leeway

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales  #142 and Open Link Mondays at Real Toads

Micro Fiction - cynical

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's

Believe me. I'm not
being cynical nor
sarcastic. I'm always open
with you.
I admire your sincerity.
It's just that I'm not 
ready just yet!

(140 characters)
counted through Design215 (here)

Grandma's Goulash challenged us to write a Micro Fiction of not exceeding 140
characters using the picture provided above and the word 'cynical'

Grandma's Succinctly Yours new week #85 and Poets United's Poetry Pantry #122

Rear Window

                                                          Digital Art by SueAnn (Used with permission)

Image:1 Courtesy of d'Verse. More paintings and photos by the talented SueAnn (here)

Image:2 James in 'The Rear Window'
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons under licence (here)

Image:3 His co-star the ever beautiful Grace Kelly

Sourced through Wikimedia Commons under licence (here)

Relaxed of an innocent charade

Peering out to the outside world

Through dusty glass panes 

As often experienced of dwellers

Perched up in low rise buildings

Of goings on of least significance

At their rear windows

Some weirdos with time in their hands

Armed with a powerful pair of binoculars

Brazenly raiding the nest of others

Violating the guarded privacy

Spying on their neighbors

At their rear windows

Alfred Hitchcock however,brought a semblance

of respectability to such voyeur tendencies

which bagged 4 Academy Award nominations

considered by many as one of his best and was

even added to the US National Film Registry

in 1977 as an acclaimed production

the Rear Window

Written for Brian's hosting of Poetics: Through the Artist's Lens at d'Verse

Rainbow Two

Kris in CARPE DIEM suggested a reprise to the prompt 'rainbow'. This time instead of emphasizing on colors I chose to highlight a few items of rainbow. My earlier 'Rainbow' post can be found (here) (Kris, thanks for the special mention)

                                                                                  Photo by Gussisaurio
The Rainbow Bridge at night. A Tokyo spectacular from Odaiba island.
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Spanning Tokyo Bay

Odaiba leisure island

The destination

                                                                 Photo donated by Steven G Johnson                        
A yellow lobster in an aquarium
Sourced through Wikimedia Commons (here)

Scientists are baffled by the many reports of rare-colored lobsters lately

Amazing lobsters

Make frequent appearances

In multi-colors.

Written for Kris aka Chev’s CARPE DIEM rainbow reprise #34

Recuperating

Image: Shadah resting after surgery
Anna hosting at d’Verse had suggested writing on a high and low of poetic art and culture. Not strictly to the prompt here but I'm really on a high and low.

On extreme high now,

To Providence, extremely

thankful and grateful

On low last week, slow

on comments and response, to

seek apologies

My loving wife Shadah had a minor surgery done on Nov. 1^st.  It was scheduled earlier on 23rd Oct but brought back to the later date. When I enquired last week how risky it would be, I was given the classic answer, ‘any surgery is risky’ ( it left a lump in my throat )

The procedure took about 2 hrs and everything’s just fine now!  We wish to thank God the AlMighty and most Merciful for having protected us in our moments of concern and moments of need  And Datuk Dr R and his team did a splendid job. We are extremely grateful.  Shadah was discharged today. We are back home now!

Written for Anna’s Meeting the Bar at d”Verse