Malaysiana - The Maiden of Malaya
The maiden of Malaya
is full of romance
Her hair curls and flows
the way The Melaka Straits
meets the Andaman, stretches of love
that sweep onto The Golden Chersonese
Seeds from afar as the desert plain of Arabia,
the land of Taj Mahal, Asoka - you see them
dancing in her ebullient eyes, magical eyes
with lashes so long they flip into your heart
to remain in warm quarters you could
savour in the dead of nights
Her finely arched eyebrows sweep
you through the swathes and swathes of
Arab sand where you remember
the Prophet and all his sayings
Layer upon layer of her
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Omens
A single sheaf of large shrivelled
Teak leaf glided uncannily to the
Ground with a tap and continued its
Forlorn dance across the road below
A lone street lamp - right in front
Of me as I was cycling by troubled
By an upcoming undertaking.
The dropping Of a leaf as if portending some untoward
Happening coming my way, telling me
Not to go foward with what I had decided;
Nature's way of telling me to be careful,
That dangers lurked ahead; analoguous
To Caesar's wife's disturbing dreams
Of his coronation murder. I continued
The journey back home and was again
Greeted by a large black cat dashing
Across just as I was making my way to the porch.
I shivered, feeling lost for a second,
Sighed, laughed and went straight into
House with a lighter chest.
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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A Bird Came Down The Walk
bird fun, they are all up there
drizzle, the row of little robins on the wire
a lost bee flying by, takes a round and flies off,
bird fun, a little kite gliding chirping
a sentinel for female kite
hatching its young in the trees
bird fun, they are all down there
a white energetic scintillating dove
after the rain cleaning itself in a puddle
sprinkling off the water
inches its head in and out of water
quick and skillful as a roman prince in his bath
bird fun, they are all down here
a drowsy cockroach on the sundry shop verandah
snapped up by the sharp-eyed little sparrow
flew in, snapped and went without a care of the world
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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A glimpse
a glimpse
the half opened door
some would say
a half closed door
it all depends on the
state of mind you are in
well half closed for pessismist
and half opened for optimist
half opened or half closed door
so long as it is open
and not close
a good exercise for the mind
of a story teller, novelist, a film maker
a glimpse at the half closed door
the mind is thrown open
like the kick you would give
a half opened door
so that you and pet cat could
glide through easily
the stories that start coming out
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Poem about Poetry - Poetry sites
if you wish to
have an afternoon
of fun, what about
reading throgh
the amateur poem
writing sites
the work here reeks
of things raw -
some even confessed
they wrote their work
while cutting their wrists
of things great -
some poets actually
are already carrying stars
- but think they need
to be on the ground
- stay in touch with
their best readers
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Remember Earth
When I look into the sky,
I like to imagine the stars and planets
as human beings who were able to transform
themselves into these super spheres, circling in
an eternal meditative realm.
The earth is but a sad and failed entity
that had launched itself too eagerly, too fast
its consciousness has crashed into a million
trillion little consciousness, moving everywhere,
some squelling, some barking, some growling,
some ointing, roaring, and alas, the little egos
have even found it apt to turn on in each other,
devouring each other
These fragmented consciousness can be revived
for eternity, and now each has to find its own way
launch not your ego before you have mastered
your art - remember earth
another version
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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My Aquarium
i used to admire my brother who had
aquariums of fishes outside the garage
and in our rooms, fishes that swam
through every phase of our teenage years
now another of his fruitful hobbies steals our sights,
breath and hearts
he keeps a garden of orchids, many he
fervently crossed breed himself with a secret
wish to name a few at least after his sweet heart,
special friends and luminaries in town
with also the hope some would make their
way into every florist's vocabulary
the blade leafy shrubs have started to
make a cut into the finer part of our life
showering us dainty fair ladies in their best wear
i am always at a loss of their names
those protrusions with an array of flowers
of subtle shapes, racy exploding colours and scents
carrying apt names such as slippers, tigers, spiders
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Vile
I am so down and out I wish
some earthshaking news to
shake up my day for instance
George Bush and Saddam
Hussein in bed scratching
each other's back as they whiled away
their time talking about how much
they had succeeded in destroying
themselves and their own nations
and how with some makeups, they
can play twins in a hollywood
movie titled 'How to take Your Country for a Ride'
or like Queen Elizabeth II
taking down her crown in place
of a shroud, saying she would
abdicate to become a Catholic nun
in Ireland because she has a vision
telling her to do so
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Alone, Looking for Blossoms Along the River
this path mom walked
to market each morn
she must have loved the flowers by the river too
inspired by
Alone, Looking for Blossoms Along the River
The sorrow of riverside blossoms inexplicable,
And nowhere to complain - I've gone half crazy.
I look up our southern neighbor. But my friend in wine
Gone ten days drinking. I find only an empty bed.
A thick frenzy of blossoms shrouding the riverside,
I stroll, listing dangerously, in full fear of spring.
Poems, wine - even this profusely driven, I endure.
Arrangements for this old, white-haired man can wait.
A deep river, two or three houses in bamboo quiet,
And such goings on: red blossoms glaring with white!
Among spring's vociferous glories, I too have my place:
With a lovely wine, bidding life's affairs bon voyage.
Looking east to Shao, its smoke filled with blossoms,
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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Between the Creator and Me
I look through my body
at the world, the stars, moons,
stars beyond stars
I know there are stars, moons
stars beyond stars too
circling all within my finite self
this temporary sphere I am crowned with
the aura that shines from these
trillion of cells
all the moving atoms,
electrons, protons,
the universe inside and out
I look at them
from my infinite self
god the puppeteer
skillfully playing
the beginning, the end
I came out of the two walls
the human brain is kept in
to take a peep at myself, the universe
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poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
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