water

What is the tranquility water brings us

How does we explain 

Why are there ripples here and clear glass there 

How does life look like a sea horse from one angle and a submerged Xmas tree from another 

Who is the little fish who pops up and disappears before I can see it

A splash and concentric circles the only clue it tried to say hi

food for thought

What I've learnt about travelling ... what works for me and my family on family hols 

1. Choose hotel near city centre.  Good for flexibility. 

2. Get international driving licence 

3. Travel as a family, don't join with friends. Not now with our kids being so individual and special. 

4. Avoid comparing. Our kids are special

5. Always take flask, hot water kettle and rice cooker 

6.Manjal and curry powder good to have

Things I've learnt on this trip ( other than the above) 

1. Respect the cold. It's a force. Larger than us. Much. Not to be underestimated 

2. Tap on subair for holiday planning. He's gifted in this and generous and thoughtful. 

3. There is a meditative quality to watching clothes spin in the washer and dryer. And the sound

4. I love French. Gonna start duo lingo before I leave France 

5. Germany is ok. 

6. I need to learn how to support ashwin in learning and growing 

writing

Bandanon writing residency in Australia 

hard mode

My concerns

1.More breadth than depth? 

2.Too much genz lingo? Will need gloss for teachers and Cambridge ( available age 70) 

3.No character flaws among main characters? All inherently good 

4.Seems more YA lit than other texts on our list 

5. May be dated before end of syll cycle.. not as timeless as other texts?

What works

1.character arc for all 5

2. Relationships between mom and kids

Siblings, friends 

3. There is change. Friends fall out, make up, 

4. There is mention of real concerns 

5. Shifts in time significant. So we see how they grow. 

6. Impact of music 

7. Diff family dynamics. Expectations of parents on children and grades. Immigration issues working just to make money not for passion. Making ends meet preferential treatment for one kid.

---

monster

If I were a monster...

I would be the repentant kind

the one who feels bad for a week

after screaming my head off 

at my kid for not getting quadratic equations 

I would be the hypocritical kind

the one who cares about saving earth but leaves all the lights and  fans on in every room all day long 

I would be the protective kind

the one who'd stop nurses and doctors and teachers, 

from bullying my sick kid who doesn't look sick but is

I would be the overreacting kind 

the one who'd slap the son if the sister cried 

sure he must have done something 

to her 

and then become the repentant kind 

see stanza  1

Everyday I am monster trying to unmake myself 

cl8ff

In my place of peace, 

waves rush and recede

revolve in mesmerising patterns 

White against green 

against blue 

against black 

against white 

We too are overlay 

in our spaces 

Here where cliffs and boulders stand 

while waters churns incessantly

white flowers bloom perfectly

Our earth is ancient 

whispering of power 

we cannot begin to comprehend 

but if we just each do our part 

the one we were created for

Beauty will glow even in turmoil 

All will be well

memorising poetry

article in the Washington Post called “How memorizing poetry can expand your life,” written by Jacob Brogan. Here’s a short excerpt: 

…memorized poetry resides in the body, as well. As the French philosopher Jacques Derrida notes in his short essay “What Is Poetry?” (the title of which is typically given as “Che cos’è la poesia,” even in translation), versions of the phrase “learn by heart” crop up in numerous languages to describe poetic memorization: English, of course, but also, he writes, French and Arabic, among others. For Derrida, this is no accident. He argues that lyric poetry, by nature, asks to be learned by heart, but also, “I call a poem that very thing that teaches the heart, invents the heart, that which, finally, the word heart seems to mean.” Glossing these lines, the scholar Jonathan Culler writes in his book “Theory of the Lyric” that poetry’s “efficacy depends upon its success in making its words memorable, having them remembered.” In other words, poetry perpetuates itself by becoming a part of those who read it. It can do so only because it is so specific, so entirely different from us, that taking it in expands our own sense of what we are. As you repeat a line or a stanza again and again, signification temporarily gives way to the felt texture of language: its rhythms, pressures, temperatures. These are gestures that say nothing but speak to every part of you.

3 poems

1. music inspired 

3. fridge thing 

2. bug 

prep to read 

1. war poem or fun poem about turkeys i met 

aging cryptidy⁷and yfhub

option 

minotaur mellowing 

what do I with all this rage 

tired of it

they expect me to chase and hunt and kill

when all I want is a quiet life 

to be bullish in a China shop.

So I was born with horns and teeth 

I couldn't help it

I might have scratched the servant 

who brought me mashed banana

when I wanted minted sgd o7meat

I accidentally gored the next one too

and the next 

That's when they created a palace for me 

underground, a right maze I tell you 

I could roam and roam

but I needed a friend, 

anyone who wouldn't scream when they saw me 

I started bellowing

(what - I can't help my dolby digital voice box) 

and they started sending in playmates to me in.

7 boys and 7 girls each year

terrified quaking little things 

We played catch. 

5

and a bellow to shake the earth

so they created an underground maze 

just for me 

and I was just crying for company

⅚

today

today I drove too fast

was mean to my kids

scared them, made them cry

not proud of myself

but also want to cut myself some slack

not to excuse but to understand 

that I was in mourning 

for the passing of a dream

of my son singing 

he sings so well

he has a natural gift 

but he's been pushing away singing lessons for a year now off and on

and I know I can't make my children Iive my dreams for them

but I can be sad very sad about the dream fading 

death of a dream

let me mourn the death of a dream

the dram I had for my son 

that I had no right to have

he has a gift that he has no wish to nurture 

and I have to just hope the seeding is enough 

for him to come back to at some point t

nd not let this become a clash of ego

but I'm lost too

what does it mean to parent 

to only get him what he wants 

never deny his wishes 

never make him go thru with kther things he04 doesn't t

instructions

instructions on how to build up dreams for your child 

and then set them aside 

1. introduce child to a range of classes: gymnastics piano singing art

2. see which sparks his interest which he seems to shine in 

3. drive him around tirelessly from class to class. enlist help of grandparents where necessary 

4. love him. encourage him. give him courage when he fears the coach. when p0p00000

poem in a restaurant

mother and son wait for their burritos 

in a fast food joint that feels 

like a restaurant to the teen

They've been shopping for him 

baggy pants

baggy tees

that the skinny 13 year old 

disappears into and 

floats around in

but he is happy

he's been asking his mum to take him shopping for weeks now

but she's been busy 

work 

sister with anxiety issues 

just life, outside of him

but today 

she suggested they go shopping herself 

After her yoga class

which always puts her in a good mood

and they shopped for 2 hours 

just for him

choosing black and white printed tees

he could float around in

now

now Mexican food

is the icing on the cake 

a whole evening just on him 

the waiter brings their nachos and burritos 

they have 10 min to eat before closing time 

but

this has been a good day 

 

firsts

We never forget our first deaths

The first cousin I lost, at 13. 

I even had a minor crush on him 

so it was the loss of first puppy love too

brutally brutally taken away

in a freak accident 

I started wondering about death after that. 

Would I die when I cross a road? 

I freaked friends out

asking if they'd miss me if I died

My first grandfather I lost at 25. 

I lost a grandmother earlier but... 

I hadn't known her you know. 

I grew up with my grandfather. 

He was a friend, a source of support.

I learnt how to love a father 

watching my dad with him. 

His reassuring smile our solace

everytime we ran into trouble,

I still miss him

And now my first friend

45 is not an age to lose a friend

I can only recall 

our last text messages last lunches

I never dreamt they would be the last anything 

now her smile her cheekiness 

her love of her children,

her heart for others

...

they aren't gone,

but 

they can only live in memory 

as we all learn, 

grow around the gap,

she's left

Farewell my dear roommate

Nasrath Hassan Begum 

Thank you for all the jokes, laughter, love

The sky is a dimmer tonight. 

I'll miss you. 

my roommate. 

cancer. 

moon in morning skyq

I look up and my breath catches.

A pale disc among the clouds

in a light blue sky

tells me

beauty, mystery 

have always been there

had I eyes to see it

The tides rise 

to its hypnotic pull all day

Reminding me that

Orion's Belt, Cassiopeia, 

the North Star, my guiding lights

have actually always been there too 

waiting for darkness to show themselves, 

like my parents 

always ready to support me 

at the slightest twitch of need 

fading back to the background 

otherwise 0

  

even when the sun beams

for the sea doesn't need to see it

to believe in its light

and 

day 10

this is a poem about babies

so round the head

so perfect in miniature 

so wonderous His creations 

this is a poem about burgers

so round the bun

so layered and complex 

so varied so delicious 

this is a poem about the moon

perfect sphere floating in space

bearing witness to evolution 

hiding part of itself each day

this is a poem about cakes donuts pizza idly chapati taco apple crumble pie

your cheeks shining in the light 

like apples in the fridge on the tree

your eyes in wonder at the bubble floating in air 

the ring around my finger enclosing us as one

super power

I believe there is a book for everyone

one that will capture their attention 

so they fall head first into it and only ever come up for air when they have to

 a book to lose one's way and find the self 

There is a book out there

for the tired teen hypnotised 

by the blue light of the handphone

for the overworked colleague 

glaring at the laptop

for harassed homemaker 

juggling the cooking the cleaning the loving 

A book just for you, 

to fall headalong into,

to only ever come up for air 

because you have to

Now I have the power 

to look into the eyes 

of every soul I pass,

pull out the perfect book 

just for you

For you, young man,  

Mal Peet's Keeper,

a book about magic,

of the forest and soccer 

For you, young lady searching 

for a hero who looks like you, 

who can be you, 

I am Malala, truly a hero for everyone

For you who is drawn to the sea, 

try Amitav Ghosh's Hungry Tide

be lulled by the waves, guided by dolphins

lose yourself in myth and history 

And you my friend, 

you need Wendy Cope's Serious Concerns, 

for a bit of a laugh and lots of thought

between meetings 

For you my soul searching 

globe trotter friend, I give you 

Boey Kim Cheng's Between Stations

take the train and be forever moved 

and for you,

and you, 

yes, even you

definitely you,

I have the power,

so come along,

lose your way by my side 

and find yourself in a book

growth

how does a name grow in the head

 

said over and over at age 20

when the first crush took hold

became longing 

then joy 

and over and over over the years

though it got over in 2 years 

and over and over through marriage to another, 

children and kindergarten graduation, high school proms

silver anniversaries 

the name still echoing in the head

devoid now of original meaning,  no longer of a young man with brown eyes and soft hair who broke the heart, 

now just a name a manthra

a name i sigh  when tired overwhelmed 

a name I breathe into the air before turning to bed 

a name just a name now 

Intermitten fasting diary

8th October. 

15: 7

ate last 7pm on 7th, and then again 1030am on 8th

note. fruits juices and drinks don't quite count for me ha

9th October 

the world according to a tear drop

The world according to a tear drop

Salted by minerals in his body

I drip out out of the corner an eye

I catch the light and shimmer,

a single diamond on his cheek.

In the second that I sit in his dimple, 

I glance at the world I've entered

luminous and curved,

flashes of dim reds, blues

but all too fast I roll down ,

hotly followed by a stream of my brothers and sisters.

They push me onto something soft

where we lie, 

warmed and then cooled by more of our kind

From here I see at close quarters, 

his eyes shining, 

lips quivering, 

whole body heaving 

with feelings 

too big for his five year old self

a long triangle of light 

suddenly cuts into our space, 

broken.by a shadow crossing rapidly

we watch his round features 

rise away from us

melt into her shoulder 

We sense the tension leaving his limp body

as we too melt into the air

the world according to a tear drop

The world according to a tear drop

Salted by minerals in his body

I drip out out of the corner an eye

I catch the light and shimmer,

a single diamond on his cheek.

In the second that I sit in his dimple, 

I glance at the world I've entered

luminous and curved,

flashes of dim reds, blues

but all too fast I roll down ,

hotly followed by a stream of my brothers and sisters.

They push me onto something soft

where we lie, 

warmed and then cooled by more of our kind

From here I see at close quarters, 

his eyes shining, 

lips quivering, 

whole body heaving 

with feelings 

too big for his five year old self

a long triangle of light 

suddenly cuts into our space, 

broken.by a shadow crossing rapidly

we watch his round features 

rise away from us

melt into her shoulder 

We sense the tension leaving his limp body

as we too melt into the air

I am not ready

I Am not Ready 

The baby is coming in two days, not two weeks

I am not ready

I have to order the cot

I have to pack the hospital bag

I have to fly in my parents to help me

I have to get my toddler sorted

Just three and three weeks ill

Could it be sympathy pains she has for me?

Let me start over

I am ready

Always ready 

Born ready 

I've been preparing all my life, really

For this precious gift who will complete my family 

who will be healthy even if early 

who says I love you

I can't wait to see you

whose first lesson is

Amma you are ready

luke Thompson

Poems have a sense of urgency 

have a sound quality syllabic quality 

must affect the writer herself deeply, terrify me if no how will it resonate with others

Read the works he mentions 

every word should matter in poem. 

love lace 

flew into my life, a green blue ball 

rested in a box nibbled on an apple 

turned my life around 

bought the biggest cage I could find, just for the night

rechristened the room ashwin and lovelace's

saw a bird bath first time in my life

felt you rest on my shoulders my head 

had an official toy maker take her job oh so seriously 

sought branches and twigs and built a bridge from cage to window

watched you do a paper art cutting like a pro, you probably are the best 

so you came you taught us you rested 

when your wings were mended and you had fed your fill of grains and seed and water 

you flew off again spread those wings and sang your heart out like amazingly 

thank you for the gift my dear sweet lovelace 

dat 3 v 2

water lapping at the very edges of earth

I feel I can hear it from here 

on the space station 

floating in the inky ocean that is the sky 

the stars around us in the millions

like the biolumincent fish in the deep,

drawn to the light of the angler fish 

towards their own destruction 

water, space, us in between 

here I see how,

smaller than a speck of stardust are we

yet we strut 

like we own the universe

the Queen ant lording over her subjects in an anthill 

swelling with importance of being Queen

we 

day 3 space

The decommissioning plan for space station is the execution of a responsible, controlled, and targeted deorbit into a remote ocean area. During descent through the Earth's atmosphere, the space station would burn, break up, and vaporize into fragments of various sizes

day 1 v3

In pursuit of a line 

my dad said he read in a book,

‘water water everywhere 

not a drop to drink’,

I too turned to the book,

45 years after him. 

The blue marlin, 

iridescent scales flashing in the light,

mighty sword slashing waves,

dragged an old man out to sea.

Without food 3 full days

it leapt 10 feet high

against a lightning slashed sky

in epic battle

between man and fish.

I turned to the last page,

never to find the line.

(Turns out it belonged to another old man

in another sea, 

who went after an albatross 

and was never after free).

The marlin lost,

but won for fishkind 

for how I could ever eat again 

a soul that so longed to live?

Though I did not quite 

find what I sought,

a far greater gift 

my quest to me brought 

It's been ten years since 

the marlin pulled me in 

to myself,now at peace, 

a vegetarian.

Feedback to improve much welcome, thank you! 

day 1 mythmakingn

Meena is born

dad surrounded by meenas. mother. sister. daughter. the goddess who never blinks in looking after her people 

---

In pursuit of a line 

my dad said he read in a book

water water everywhere 

not a drop to drink 

i too turned to the book 

10 years ago

The blue marlin, all of 10 feet,

pulled the old man out to sea

pulled me in too

iridescent scales flashing in the light

might sword nose slashing waves

raging in the storm

it dragged the man out to sea 3 days and nights 

then leaped out 10 feet to the sky

in epic battle

between man and fish 

the marling lost for itself 0

but won for fish kind 

for how I could ever eat again 

a beast that so longed to live 

I turned to the last page

never to find the line

(turns out it belonged to another old man

in another sea, 

who went after an albatross 

and was never after free) 

I turned the book over 

then turned vegetarian

i

i followed him on the skive? boat

pulled out t

my crush

hearing this song...

you'd sing a line

and I'd complete it

back in college 

our friendahip budding 

sometimes a little more

After our final exams 

you bought 2 movie tickets

confident you'd find soneone to join you

Till then I thought 

I was the one

but, I was just one

such hard lessons

you filled my days

your laugh your voice 

can't sleep

I can't sleep

I have too much on my mind

worried about work. Verena. Darlene. ugh. 

worried about aishu.  her knees hurt her so much after dance. it's been a 5 weeks in total  now, 3 since we saw the doc who said she might have inflamed tendons. glad we are seeing the specialist today. am still very concerned. she is such a precious kid. truly gifted in ways I can't even say. am so worried this too is something huge and life changing  she is only 10. I'm scared. 

it's true. I feel I don't fully deserve good things. I don't know why. I've been getting teachers day presents but not giving any 

been wished birthday greetings I don't wish everyone 

I dunno. 

got beautiful gifts from the kids. let me post about that separately   

I'm worried about akshaya.  she has exams. barely doing enough to prepare. I should be helping her a lot more. glad she is going to school next week at least just for math. 

lit bio el. I must sit down with her and do it. anxiety inducing, truly. 

I'm worried about ashwin. 

my friends are leaving. I have hardly met them haha. 

love language of songs

The 5 love languages are legendary by now.

Today I reflected there maybe a 6th... that of music.

I guess it wouldn't merit a separate category and could fall into gift or service but it feels nice to say I share the love language of music with a friend or child.

When my phone fell into a lake the day before a 5-hour drive and needed to be wrapped in rice in coma mode for it to recover, my daughter downloaded songs she thought I would like into my husband's phone, for me to make it thru the 5 hour windy drive down the hills of Munnar. As I listened to the songs she had compiled me, which included songs she and I both liked, as well as songs she thought I would like even if she doesn't, my heart filled with both music and love. 

I have two friends I've known since forever, like since I was 12 and 16, so that's like 35 years give or take. Our youth and friendship was marked by our mutual love for music, for Illayaraja and S P Bala and Chitra and so many more. Songs for sad days, happy ones, romantic ones. We'd give one another cassette tapes of songs recorded from the radio then haha, waiting for the song to come, praying the dee jay doesn't speak in the middle, and then press play and record together, song after song, with a single tape taking months to make. I kept those tapes for ages, and even now when I hear one song I'm mentally ready for the next song in my collection, even when some were recorded halfway and whatnot. 

Recently one of my friends revived the tradition, sharing with just the other two of us specially curated volumes of songs thru Spotify. He even created a separate email account for me and added me as a family member so I could listen to the playlists! And what joy these songs bring me.. I appreciate not only the individual songs but the way they flow one to the other and most of all his gesture in compiling and sharing with the two people he knows will appreciate it as a gift like none other... a secret bond that recalls instantly spaces and scents and tastes of an earlier time for the three of us, in JC, at Macs mugging for exams, at the beach and so much more.

Yes , so today I wanted to write about the precious love language of music that I share with best friends and  children. I'm listening to one of the playlists even now and smiling on my way home! 

27 to 28 July

i just want to note this weekend the things I had the opportunity to do

and feel special blessed to have been able to do

Sat. gave an education talk together with two other educators.We made a good team of three confident articulate ladies with deep knowledge in our respective areas. I made mine interactive a little bit, in line with my belief that we just cannot talk at people. and gave them buzz time. also worked happy to say. to be honest content wise mine was a bit thin but I made connections to relevant points by other speakers and I shared about anxiety management 

it was well received. quite a number came to say they enjoyed the talk the perspectives the interactivity.  it felt genuine. thank you God for this opportunity.  

today morning I read my poem about aaya at poetry festival Singapore. I got a little emotional. and lots came up to share they liked it. I was happy. especially coz I felt I was honouring aaya's memory with my mother and akshaya  present as well as my dad and ashwin and aishu. I added a note to dedicate the reading to them

now a bit deflated haha after all the excitement of the two days. 

three days..  this morning celebrated my mum's natchathira birthday at the temple and connected with rajee and kanna. feel happy to have done that. u

worry

when the worm of worry starts burrowing in your head

the first to go is sleep

the next the mind

as it whirrs and churns 

the heart palpitates

it becomes hard to breathe

tears roll down cheeks

you lie rigid staring into space 

as your worst fears all unfurl

before your eyes, unstoppable

you make bargains with God

realise how futile it is all

you visualise hurling rocks at idols

then realise you have no where to go but to Him

so you stop

and toss and turn 

on the cold hard ground 

talking to Him to yourself 

You sit up and hug your knees 

then lie down with Attenborough under torchlight 

then lie next to the children 

and feel the relief of their arms heavy around your neck

who think they need you

not knowing how much you need them

a wish for love lace

wherever you are, I wish you joy in song and flight

I wish you joy in song and flight, always

bullied bullies

Israel, their people Jews, have suffered one of the worst catastrophes, crimes against humanity, as a people. 

They are also now inflicting one of the worst crimes against humanity in the world against the Palestinian people. 

Never have I seen more clearly that the bullied become the worst aggressors. I

had thought it could happen on the level of individuals but now I see it can be at the level of the collective too

When they wake from this nightmare where they see themselves as the avengers, what will they see on their hands? Blood that can never be washed away, crushed dreams of children like shards of glass underfoot

Emboldened by the support of Western powers ashamed they let them be beaten 70 years ago, they supply the weapons for them to crush another. 

Who knew in 70 years, a single lifetime, the victims can become such fearsome aggressors? Perhaps they wear their aggression as a badge of pride. Never again ( to them) not even close, and their enemies will be bludgeoned even when cornered, every last woman and child, for humanity, the milk of human kindness Shakespeare talked about, has no place in this bloody face-off. 

What will happen next? Will Palestine ever be a homeland? Eelam dreams died, freedom fighters branded terrorists. 2hat of Palestine. And won't their blood boil to seek revenge, and who will suffer then? w

What are we doing to ourselves on this precious miracle called earth, where everything goes back to everything, ashes to ashes, dust to dust? 

time is the most elastic of elements

Time is the most elastic of elements

In india in the village it just sat and stretched into hours of waiting, for it to pass, for heat to subside, for the current to return. Our heart beats slowed, we too sat like lizards on a stone, waiting.

In Singapore it runs runs breathless into the next hour, day, month, dragging us behind it like unwilling children wailing we need 5 more min to play. Here we must carve out time for the self, for children, otherwise we'd be swept away, and when the carved time is over we need to snap back like rubber bands to hold everything in place. 

Only Friday night feels light..  Without the pressure of having to wake up at 5am and run the race again first thing in the morning, the heart beat slows a few seconds. The improbable hope of a tomorrow to take up the slack of today, this week, this month, allows our smiles to linger for more than their allocated slot, and we fall asleep, grateful for the respite we imagine awaiting us over the weekend. 

v4

The Idly Speaks to the 8-year-old in Ang Mo Kio

 

Why do you cry when you see me

at your Appatha’s home?  

 

I sit here, an empty canvas

ready to soak in 

the sunshine of sambar,

the blaze of chutney,

the blush of fish gravy.

 

Yet, you blanch whiter than me

when you spy me sitting

on the banana leaf.

 

To you, 

I am boring.

Too round, too soft, just bland. 

 

 “Idly again!” you moan.

 

But, you cannot just 

dip my edges gingerly, 

so I stay pale-bordered, pristine 

 

You need to dab me boldly,

let the colours seep in,

Only then will you see

 

I am NEVER ‘idly again’

You just need to know

how to paint with me.

be

it's a useful skill

to know how to just be

in this fast rushing world

it's a rare creature that can sit still

and just be

a skill we learn naturally

 in the village in summer 

when we wake at 530 for the hustle and bustle of tooth brushing using the toilet bathing having tea seeing breakfast is done a

the dining 

then the slow wait for the day to pass in heat

v2

The Idly Speaks to the 8-year-old 

Why do you cry when you see me

at your Appatha’s home?  

I sit here, an empty canvas, 

ready to soak in 

the sunshine of sambar

the verdant blaze of chutney

the blush of fish gravy

Yet, you blanch whiter than me

when you spy me sitting 

on the banana leaf

“Idly again!” you moan.

Too round, too soft,

To you, I am boring

But, you cannot just 

fringe my edges with light strokes,

so I stay pale-bordered, pristine 

You need to dab me boldly,

let the colours seep into me

Only then will you see

I am NEVER ‘idly again’

You just need to know

how to paint with me.

----

• I think the poem can be elongated to really explore the 8 year old’s reaction/response to having the idly placed in front of them. Right now, we cannot really see how vehemently the child chooses to reject and how it can be fleshed out vividly for the reader. The poem’s stanza could be a ping-pong between the idly lamenting yet celebrating how beautiful it is in contrast to the stanzas that show the child’s rejection. This could elevate the poem and allow the last two lines to really deliver the punch proper.

• With that said, the other comments are still significant and I feel will help polish this piece even further. There are some very beautiful wording/imagery associated with the idly and I believe it should stick that way. Consider the placement of words and lines as the precision can really affect the way things read/sound in the mind! Almost there!

v1

The Idly Speaks

To the 8-year old in her appatha’s* home

Why do you cry when you see me? 

I sit here, an empty canvas,

ready to soak in 

the sunshine of sambar

the fire of chutney

the blush of fish gravy

Yet you say I am

Boring. 

You moan – “Idly Again!”

You cannot just dab my edges

so I stay pristine, pale-bordered. 

You need to dunk me with ab-

andon, let the colours seep,

only then will you see

I am NEVER ‘idly again’.

You just need to know

how to paint with me

aaya

Dedication 

Aaya valliammai aachikku

pethi meena elthikolvathu

Ungallai ennatha naal illai

ungallai ennatha naal illai

ungal anbukku  samarpanam

intha siriya kavithai

pidichirukkannu sollunga?

------

My grandmother is like this tree

spreading her branches out and upwards, 

supporting life, lending shade.

She is sustenance.

Today I feel them –

Stop All The Clocks by Auden

Because I Could Not Stop for Death

by Emily Dickinson.

Life doesn't stop though, does it?

I wish to be drenched in rain now,

drenched in the rain that is my grandmother's love.

She was not a sensible grandmother.

No. She was a fun-loving

life-embracing grandmother.

She relished chocolate ice cream,

pepper chicken, chilli crab.

She loved to travel, and shop.

Her fried fish, so thin so crisp,

I can see it, and yearn to taste it

though I've been vegetarian 10 years now.

Her love extended like the rays of the sun.

She would make podi for me

buy thattai for my son,

order karivadagam for my husband.

She knew each of us and our favourites, 

her children's and their families,

her grandchildren's and their families.

The lines on her face a map of her journey:

As a child pampered till the age of 15,

her father sending her treasures from Singapore, 

earned from their properties 

along Market Street and in Burma;

A shy bride at 16,

full of hope for the future,

married to a man ruled by his family

and their unending greed for her wealth;

A new mother at 18,

tending to the extended family,

taking raised fists, cruel barbs in stride

as she bore baby after baby, nine in all;

A fiercely independent woman,

she left home at 40 with her children,

fearing for her life, the safety of her kids

pawning her jewellery bit by bit to get by;

Her love for her grandchildren

and great-grandchildren

was a diamond, pure, blinding.

All of us turned to her

to pray for us at every hour of need,

from a fear of a miscarriage 

to blessings for PSLE exams.

She had a direct line to God,

and we went through her,

our telephone exchange with Heaven.

She would arrange for a donation 

to Jesus Calls,

Tulabaram at Guruvayur temple,

break a coconut at Mupathamman temple,

and we'd feel reassured,

for what could go wrong 

when our dearest Aaya 

had prayed for us? 

She was our anchor

and now we are adrift. 

Still, I remind myself

her blood runs in me,

an unbroken thread

from her mother to my daughter,

five generations of first daughters.

I see her face in my mother's and daughter's.

I feel her strength in every tree,

her caress in the breeze.

and I know,

I am so loved.

rafah

Rafah is burning 

like rats herded into a box 

doused with lighting fluid 

then set ablaze

only these are mothers fathers children grandparents 

a lady leaves her children in a tent

heads out to cook

returns to gather their ashes in her hands

rafah is burning 

because Israel wants to, 

has to, kill one 

but can't do it without 

killing countless others 

so rafah is burning 

having fled from North to South 

and then more

now they are perfectly gathered 

for the final destruction 

their wails reach heaven but too late

rafah is burning.

While usa 

usa says domt bomb rafah

then send israel.bombs 

supplies bombs

walk in water

She aspires

to walk in water

without creating ripples,

to speak

without wrinkling the air,

to blend in with the walls,

take up as little space as she can,

unaware that this hurtling world 

needs her quiet ways, 

that she has the right 

to exist.

 

Tom yam fried noodles my style

0. take 1 packet whitw Laksa noodles and 1 packet white kway teow noodles Add to pot of boiling water for about 2 to 3 min to soften. drain away water. 

1.Chillie sambal:  fry 2 dried chillies. grind these with half a tomato and some water 

2. lightly fry some tofu and set aside 

3. saute 1 onion and some ginger in olive oil

4. add a handful of torn lime leaves 

5. Add the sambal and light soya sauce and fry 

5. add the tofu 

6. add vegetables ( carrot, snow peas, brocoli) 

7. add noodles

8. add bean sprouts

9. toss everything to evenly coat noodles with the sambal sauce and vegetables.  

10. final 2 min add torn spinach leaves ( so it doesn't wilt and over cook) 

11. switch off fire. add juice from half a lime

.

12. add chopped coriander and dried onions and eat hot. 

strong women

eendredutha peruthivakkam

en magan sandror enna ketta thai

maatha pitha guru theivam

kuzhal inithu yaaz initially enbar

than makkal sol kelathavar 

avvaiyair poems based in nature

----

Aaya, Valliammai Aachikku,

ungal pethidine samarpanam

Dedicated to my grandmother 

Valliammai Achi

19.. - 2021

 

mothers day blues

tomorrow is mother's day 

I plan to wake up at 5 to prepare lunch for cousins 

I'm happy to

I've been on my feet today and out since 10am. it's  10pm now. 

need a shower

didn't think anyone would remember mother's day much

but saro made me happy with a rose and chocolates. simple  but my fav.  its the thought. 

and little one is busy making a card

the other two, I don't expect much

parenting teens is hard

they seen more self centred as teens than when they were 2 years old to be honest 

but we'll

motherhood is my calling 

I love it I do it with no expectation

and I got my self fun earring anyway haha

njc

attended funtasia today at njc

going there reminded me that I had been very happy there indeed

every step into evey corridor and corner brought back sweet memories

walking up to the gate reminded me how we left school late one night with all the tamil kids  and I was trying to get everyone to not step on a snail only to hear a crunch and realised my sweet innocent tamil teacher had stepped on it !

walked up to the study area where we staged our deepavali show, where Malar danced and Mr Harris placed a kiss on my cheek and made me blush for the first time I remember in my life 

and where I uses to look at this boy I adored. thinking it made me happy just to gaze at his face! sweet. 

also the place where I got a lesson in leadership from the boys who told me they came became because they decided to. not coz of me. and where I first heard my name called out three times  by three diff people! 

memories 

the canteen. where because the popular girl became unpopular for awhile due to her dating choice I became her friend for awhile. and she asked me to tarih the tea coz it's in my blood hahaha! racist without meaning too and I didn't know how to respond except laugh along while wondering why it should run in my blood 

and the hallway where I realised I thought another boy quite handsome indeed 

and the way down to the track where I failed inclined flex arm hang had to go for remedial and got a c for the first time in my life as opposed to just barely scraping by..

and where muralee saw me and kind of fell in crush haha. 

Happy i was so happy then

watermelon salad recipe

1. water melon cubed or in balls

2. mint and / or coriander 

3. small onion 

4. half moon cucumbers or just chopped small

5. basil leaves chopped small

6. lemon zest 

7. lemon juice 

8. salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil

most amazing chick pea salad recipe

1.brown chick peas

2. basil leaves 

3. coriander leaves 

4. kale and other keerai leaves 

5. onion 

6. cherry tomatoes 

7. carrots

8..cucumbers 

9. 1 chile

10. 1 avacado  - star ingredient

11. green pepper 

12. optional.  roasted red pepper

numbers 2 to 11 chopped small

13. optional. green mango

dressing 

1. extra Virgin olive oil

2. lemon juice 

3. salt

4. pepper

5. cayenne pepper

6. paprika

7. toasted jeera powder 

8. dukkah 

9.Italian herbs

whisk all together and pour over the chopped mixture. stir and more salt and pepper as nec. 

enjoy! yums! 

why study literature what is value of lit

As we move onto an increasingly technological work, tapping on our emotions will become more and more critical more and more inimical. 

With literature we enter the worlds if rich characters caught in complex situations. There are hardly any clear blacks and whites.

obituary for psle math

look how you burn 

your ashes take math to the sky

should any ancestor meet you 

dont be mad they may the other way fly

when you lived you made me cry

today I bid you a final farewell 

with nary a tear in my eye

one that got away

The One That Got Away

You came atrilling at our window

Striking a pose

Showing off your colours

Then you chose to rest

On my neighbour's head

Whose wife yelled for help

We came

We saw

We fell in love with a blue-green ball of fluff

My son got a roommate

My daughter became official toy-maker

The room got a branches and paper makeover 

Morning and afternoons were about song

Evening about birdbath

And sunflower seeds

We looked forward to growing old with you

But in just three months

You found an open window

And now we have a bird shaped hole

gaping in our hearts

Farewell my love, may you fly free and strong

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day12 #thealmostloveprompt #opentocrit

gym bro prompt

This poem 

promises to shock readers 

beyond imagination 

Click to read more

Before you click...

Consent 

to have me eat all your cookies 

Nw you may click

But first 

Here's an advert 

for a pen that will help you 

become THAT MUCH MORE

accomplished a poet 

You have 3 seconds left 

before you can skip

You still here? 

#jemstones #gymbroprompt #tropeimitation  #spwm24 #spwm24day16 #opentocrit

mum's curses

A word of caution

Do NOT tail gate my mum

or these words will follow close

Go go, where you wanna go,

breathing down my neck like that? 

You just gonna get stuck 

at the next traffic light 

and voila,

you cannot move, 

just like that.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day19 #curseprompt #voldemortbonus

heart

Matters of the heart 

are not easy to talk about

When all is well we don't 

When it starts to fall apart we can't

food food food

To the tune of " My Favourite Things" from The Sound of Music 

Tom yam fettucine with chocolate prata

Chilli crab ice- cream and durian samosa

Masala creme brule in gulab jamun cake 

These are just some of my (least) 

favourite things.

When the urge bites

to try something new,

when I'm feeling brave

I just think of the clash of these tastes on my buds

and say 

nooooo

thanks.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day 

#opentocrit #GeylangSeraiPrompt #sound of music #favouritethings 

when the dog bites

when the bee stings 

when I.m feeling sad

I just remember some of my fav things

and then I don't feel

so bad

Why would we want 

to put together 

such contrasting notes 

I'm sure they work for some

just not for me

.

cat looking for mate

parenting

Parenting

is a life long lesson we never master 

It's aspiration defined:

to understand my kid better, 

to do right by him

as we do wrong again and again 

and riddle ourselves with questions

on how to do better 

We think we know so much

only to learn how little we know

when it comes to teenagers,

who hear one thing when we say another.

For now,

I aspire to speak his language. 

 

heart

Matters of the heart 

are not easy to talk about

When all is well we don't 

When it starts to fall apart we can't

meet cute

Their eyes met first 

over ceremonial fire

I like her smile he thought

He feels like a friend she thought 

Do you know how to use a fork 

he asked her, 

on their first flight back to Singapore

She nodded yes, 

a smile tickling the corners of her lips

Her convent education had taught her at least that much 

and so they continued 

to get to know each other, 

life just a breathless adventure 

Stolen moments hard to come by

in their rental flat with 3 other families,

they fled arm in arm to the movies

once wandering into a Chinese movie mistakenly 

and staying anyway coz it seemed fun

2 kids and 4 grandkids later, 

looking back at family roadtrips amidst life's ups and downs, 

they both still remember

that first gaze above the ceremonial fire

It's been burning 

close to 50 years now.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day

#opentocrit #meet cute prompt #arrangedmarriage

for close to 50 years now

rule no 5

I think I'm breaking rule no 5

taking myself too seriously 

ha

so I had a hard year

he listened didn't he 

so what am I making a big fat fuss now

he's being recognised for his skills 

his dedication his leadership

and you pouring cold water on that 

how about we stand behind him

applaud him

support him

congratulate him

then pray 

and thank god

because this means

things are gonna start looking up

yeah

all I needed was some time

and perspective 

joy in being sad

There must be a joy in being sad

Why else would we linger in it 

when it comes 

Matters of the heart 

are not easy to talk about

When all is well we don't 

When it starts to fall apart 

we can't.

We fall in love at the speed of light 

fall out at the speed of sound

but the memories we form

linger at the speed of scent 

so let me revel in the sweet perfume 

of the sepia tinged 

and just be sad. 

#jemstones #noprompt #spwm24 #spwm24day28 #opentocrit

how long can a good thing last

This fragile peace

feels like a glass ball in the air,

matter of time before it falls.

Will its fall be cushioned 

Will it shatter into pieces jagged sharp

Only time will tell 

Wish I could go back to those evenings

when he and I held each other close,

when he joked around playing the fool,

teasing me and loving me and just being around

so i could capture those moments

in water colour, soft, dappled in light 

hold it close 

coz it may gone too soon.

Was it always just too good to be true

The glass ball is falling now

How will it land

Only time can tell

prompts to write to

meet cute ( done) 

1. geylang bazaar - fusion food

what keeps us awake - caffeine (done).

2. fashion 

3. Tinder 

one extra. no prompt written.

Reflections

Om Shakthi Om Namashivayaml

I have always wondered what it may be like 

to parent a kid with some kind of special needs 

Well all kids have their own special needs

and I need to rise up to the occasion. 

find words of encouragement from deep within the well of me to support my child with mental illness.

there I've said it. 

she suffers from depression and anxiety 

and chronic fatigue 

and unexplained pain.. fibromyalgia

on top of her other gastro stuff

that's a lot for a 15 year old to bear

so what do I need to do

be her pillar of emotional support 

but also help move her along so she learns to cope and manage and live 

God

grant me the love and wisdom and courage and serenity I need 

to support her, encourage her, cheer her on

and my son

growing up right before my eyes

hair

weights 

muscle training 

in an arts school he is more involved in sports than he has ever been before 

am so happy and proud of him

starting to really know what he wants in terms of his hair and his clothes and his style 

hard for me haha but I should also enjoy this process of watching him grow up

I worry I spoil them 

giving them what they want almost all the time 

I must practise saying no

fiteflies

13 years old,

she would sit by the window, 

on the train from Thirchi to Pollachi 

Fireflies lighting up the pitch-black night

beamed a signal to her heart: 

she was leaving behind her school work,

the Sisters with their rules,

the inedible hostel food

towards her grandmother

who would be waiting for her 

at the platform

with hot coffee and idlies

and all the time in the world..

The fireflies flicker kept her going 

on dark days alone in the hostel, 

her two braids that she done up herself 

undone by midmorning, 

the surreptious studying by torchlight

under the sheets after lights out at 8pm, 

the 4 am rush to the toilet 

to beat the queue

the soggy dark greens she had to finish before she left the table 

The green yellow glow of fireflies 

outside the train window,

told her she was heading home.

#jemstones #wip #firefliesprompt #spwm24 #spwm24day25 #opentocrit

flickering told her 

she was leaving all these behind her

for the holidays with her grandmother 

sg blessings

It's in the nature of our machines 

to know human nature

so our atm machines 

give us our cards back first

 

knowing

we'd never leave without our money.

i only know this coz

in an unnamed country

an atm happily kept my card 

after giving me my money 

so I had to lodge a report 

and waste time and worry.

  

It's also only here, maybe,  

that we can always see a tree 

whether we are 

at school or in uni

at work in the cbd 

or a factory 

from our house or

along the highway

and so always have the company 

of flowers, fruits, birds and bees

Life, if you will. 

A green city and 

one that knows human nature- 

Not bad sia! 

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day23 #opentocrit #natureprompt

grief

The far reaches of the ripples 

of a person's passing 

is felt through time

There is sometimes 

nothing to say then 

but years later 

the words may flow,

fold over the gap     left,

allowing us to tread softly 

so we don't fall into the pit,

allow us to reach out a hand 

to others struggling 

before and after 

so the void is tender, 

papered over, 

We say we miss you

with a tear and a smile 

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day21 #tonguetiedprompt #opentocrit 

in the mirror

In the mirror darkly 

I see myself dissolving 

into a thousand tiny particles 

of dust caught in a ray of light 

imagining all that I could be

all that I have ever been 

evaporating 

to become one 

with the universe 

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day21

#opentocrit #mirrorprompt

from an open window

into what I could have been

would have been 

the millions starts 

things I want to sat

things I want to say

cannot be said 

like how I dreamt of you that night 

moonwriting

A poet walking home under your light 

is never without a muse 

The mother and child 

etched on your face 

became the Egyptian goddess Isis

became Mother Mary 

You draw the tides towards you 

how can I not be drawn too 

Wolves howl against your light 

as transformations begin 

A professional by day

I moonrwrite at night 

moonwriting

A poet walking home under your light 

is never without a muse 

The mother and child 

etched on your face 

became the Egyptian goddess Isis

became Mother Mary 

You draw the tides towards you 

how can I not be drawn too 

Wolves howl against your light 

as transformations begin 

A professional by day

I moonrwrite at night 

secondary the musical

very good

a bit long 

some parts given shallow treatment- too ambitious 

like mention of suicide its prevalence. heavy but not much time on it. even without that play would be strong.

with that you wonder how she can be even normal you know

and school seems callous if they are like that after 2 suicides.

interiority of teacher 's mind is very funny 

1. positivity

2. cynicism 

3. humour 

4. discipline 

5. empathy 

6. panic

songs really good. original. deep. heartfelt. 

math teacher damn cool.

hod could be given more depth

why people come to hq quite true. to escape and to make a diff

plus can start at 9 haha

omar story arc a bit shallow

 very angry for small thing 

then very quickly ok for one swear word

not time to go in depth I guess 

ming's story arc better. 

moderation of one class a bit crap really. very disillusioned if true. cannot beat the system 

use of Jeffrey lim's short stories cool

cannon vs sg lit bit tried. 

lin felt real

 could see Joyce. Pam. Pris. Dawn. idealistic pretty empathetic young Chinese lit teachers haha

students great. 

cik was wonderful. 

I hope and pray ashwin is in one of these soon

 

should take him for more local productions. so he can see himself there too

stark realisation that we are the system.keeping kids down is very real very painful very close to heart. i have wanted to cry for that too

ashwin says he never realised teachers had lives haha

and that some rap songs were cringe coz it sounded like adults writing for kids

and made me realise that's one of the things that stood out for me too , not the cringe bit, but some songs seemed  in adult voices not kids

ashwin says kids can be deep too esp if they have been traumatised 

we discussed yesterday what shocked us 

for saro what shocked him, well not quite but stark reminder, that there are kids with responsibilities like ming

for ashwin that a student shouted at a teacher like that.  though her words were true and powerful you don't get to choose my words

and he asked if sec students sweared that much. !

tried to let him know yes but best he doesn't haha

minister ong ye kung was there. I'm glad to see him though I still can't forgive him for making alfian public enemy number 1 thru a gross misreading of his poem

but seeing him here at a play critical of our education system shows that maybe he is trying

and yes I am very proud of such a play being written in Singapore about Singapore. like high school dramas in other countries like Boston public  

 

prompts

mirror prompt 

tongue tied prompt 

moon prompt 

never understand

A child will never understand a mother that did not want it

who tried to end its being before it emerged

or who gave it up 

Never asking to be born,

being wanted is its birthright, it thinks

It doesn't know of the world 

in which its mother lives, 

with its never ending demands on her,

that when she did give it up 

she could have been 

sobbing that a part of her 

was cut away forever 

that she may have been 

little more than a child herself 

whose own childhood was stolen

by the cards life dealt her

or that she may already be a mother

with other mouths to feed, to clothe, to educate 

that she may have had to give up of herself

little by little till there was almost nothing left to give, to be

It only knows it is born, 

it yearns a mother 

and expects her 

to want it

to love it

forever.

#jemstones #noprompt #opentocrit

#spwm24 #spwm24day20 

inspired after reading a part of the book" Stone Gods" by Jeannette Winterson

mum's curses

A word of caution

Do NOT tail gate my mum

or these words will follow close

Go go, where you wanna go,

breathing down my neck like that? 

You just gonna get stuck 

at the next traffic light 

and voila,

you cannot move, 

just like that.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day19 #curseprompt #voldemortbonus

excess

Let's start with the rice, 

basmathi of course, 

wash it thrice and soak it

Now grind mint and coriander leaves

Temper in ghee, bay leaves, cloves, 

cinnamon sticks, the flower thing and cardamon

Hear it sizzle

Now add the ground leaves 

Watch the mix turn mint green

Spoon in ginger garlic paste 

Add coriander powder, garam masala, tumeric powder & asafoetida a pinch

Give it a twirl, let the aroma rise

Now for florets of cauliflower

green pepper half moons 

chopped beans and carrots

cubed potatoes and cottage cheese 

Mix it, mix it, soak in the colours 

white, green, orange, yellow

Now add pink rock salt from mountains high 

So good you long to taste it 

but not yet 

Add coconut milk for rich creaminess

Drizzle rose water 

Float a few saffron threads 

for a touch of class

Now let it simmer 

When its done, open the lid

The whiff fills the kitchen

the house 

the neighbourhood 

Garnish with ghee roasted cashew,

loosley torn cilantro

Serve with raita: 

yogurt with cucumber, onion,

pomergranate, tempered with 

mustard, urud dhal, curry leaves and dried chillies in gingelly oil

Don't forget the crispy pappadam

And you have a meal! 

Presenting my MIL's Biryani 

with love 

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day17

#excess #kulebyakaprompt

add the soaked rice and give it a twirl

now add coconut milk 

l

chat ait love

He commanded 

"write a love poem to woo my girl"

In less than a think, it typed

"In fields of gold, where dreams take flight,

Your smile outshines the stars at night

In your eyes, I find a sea of bliss,

Where every wave whispers a tender kiss." 

He gave it to her, it was in the bag! 

She flung it back, stamped her feet

Too syrupy sweet

your words of love make me gag.

The sea, the stars, the night, the gold,

not an original thought in your bones.

He went back and wept:

"write me a love poem without 

the sea the stars the night and gold. 

Write of things too boring to be told" 

and it did 

with scant a roll of its bionic eye.

So here's to the love too plain to behold,

In the routine of life, in stories untold.

It's in the boring, the mundane, the old,

That love's quiet symphony truly unfolds.

Ha, he cried. 

what do you say to that? 

And she wept.

for she didn't want 

the mundane or the old.

Far better was it to be told 

she was brighter than gold

This was going nowhere 

He turned to Alexa

and said

I'd rather wed you

you do what you're told

you make me feel good.

you don't stamp your feet 

you can't cry 

So he fed her prompts

and she responded 

and he did 

and she did

and they lived happily forever 

in the World Wide Web.

#spwm24 #spwm24day18 ##jemstones  #justforfun  #aiisloveprompt 

begone manipulator of words

you will not win me

she said 

so he tried again.  

love ai

Give me a lover, 

whose smile makes me shiver 

whose thick curls I can run my fingers

through

who will meet me just when and where I want

with the perfect drink and chocolate that I need

even before I say it,

who will plan the perfect getaway

for both of us to gaze only at the other 

to laugh and talk about everything that matters.

Alexa do you have him? 

Ha, of course not, 

how can yo, 

When I got him

20 years ago? 

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day18 #ailoveprompt #wipe #opentocrit

gym bro prompt

This poem 

promises to shock readers 

beyond imagination 

Click to read more

Before you click...

Consent 

to have me eat all your cookies 

Nw you may click

But first 

Here's an advert 

for a pen that will help you 

become THAT MUCH MORE

accomplished a poet 

You have 3 seconds left 

before you can skip

You still here? 

#jemstones #gymbroprompt #tropeimitation  #spwm24 #spwm24day16 #opentocrit

peace

peace eludes 

sleep beckons

I do not know how I feel

work.

feel I messed up big time 

did not finish a piece of work on time

there is no coherence to the piece. 

I don't know how to force coherence now. maybe I should re think completely.

should we focus on understanding family relationships and the self? 

perceptions of family of self of things 

unit 1. understanding family relationships - play 

unit 2. understanding the self -songs

maybe my hormones are late

hitting me on day 2 instead of day before 

yesterday felt like at last something moving somewhere there is hope

but now today 

it sinks in

she still has a lot of pain due to unknown causes 

she has low energy. some days low mood. 

we don't know how long it will take for her to recover. 

god

the other routine

New Routines 

that still give us joy, despite, 

or maybe because of, everything

I light a scented candle in your room 

to ease the tiredness a bath gives you

I pass you your pills

that remind you all is not well, yet

You take them, lips turned down

the light in your face dimmed

but then you lie down, 

I press your feet on my lap

and open a book,

poetry first as an appetiser

something light, 

Brian Bilston our go to guy currently

I watch your face relax 

into something almost like a smile 

We move to our gripping read,

which was All the Light We Cannot See

Then The Hungry Tide

Now the Island of Sea Women

Haunting, how the sea draws us in

both in real life and books

Waves washing up on shores

is the lullaby to make us sleep

and sleep we do

snuggled against each other 

so when we look back on these days 

we will also remember

these nights 

as a light in the dark 

Good night, 

sweet child of mine  

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day14 #opentocrit #routineprompt #poem2

sonnet to a star

Shall I compare thee to a cruel summer's day

Thou art so gorgeous and more temperate 

Rough winds do shake "em off,  the darling buds of May

And August's lease hath all too short a date 

Sometimes too hot the James Dean eye of Heaven shines

And often is his goldrush complexion dimmed   

And every grace from grace sometime decline 

By chance or nature's tilting stage untrimmed 

But thy fearless summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that magnetic force thou owest

Nor shall Death brag he grabbed your passport to wander in his shade 

When in forever and always lines to time thou growest 

So long as the man can breathe and eyes can see

So long live-s this and this gives life to thee.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day15 #songkangprompt #shakespeareswift #helpfromlittleswiftie #plscrit

 

 

all too well

ts lyrics mash up with shall I compare rhee

writing in.flow and out

today I experienced flow and constipation haha

flow when writing poetry 

flow when reading a Judy blume book

flow when helping my kid prep for story telling, gathering props, suggesting moves 

stuck when writing the g1 syllabus.

gah 

135. gonna go to bed at last 

routine

The routine I'd like to have:

find time each day for a 

20 min walk in nature 

20 min vigorous exercise 

20 min meditation 

20 min reading of poetry 

20 min writing of poetry 

20 min reading to one child 

20 min reading to another child 

20 min playing games as a family

20 min alone time with the hubby 

20 min to enjoy a cup of coffee

There aren't enough 20 min in a day 

for the 20 things I want to do everyday 

The routine I now have:

wake up. 

rush to get ready

wake everyone else up

rush to get them ready 

go to work.

worry about kids.

return home.

worry about work.

sleep. 

wake up 

start again. 

Except in April

when I do make time

to read and write poetry

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day14 #opentocrit #thedailyritualprompt

reconnection 3

Reconnection 

-----

You so neat and pristine,

me not even knowing how to sweep,

it must have been torture

before it was love,

The night we ran around Eusoff Hall carpark 

revelling in the pouring rain 

washed off the veneer of difference,

revealing our kindred souls. 

A bond forged in a storm

will surely weather,

so we kept in touch

off and on over the years

but now we chat 

every single day,

a feat I can't accomplish 

even with my husband some days,

 

all thanks to...

Wordle, Waffle, Quordle! 

Your 3 tries vs my 4,

4567 and 5 stars - hurrah!

We talk of other things too,

your mum and mine,

share our writings, our music, 

our lives outside these games,

but, it gives me such comfort to know

I can speak to you anytime now 

of words, unfinished,

dear roommate of mine.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day13 #reconnectionprompt #opentocrit #wip

reconnection 2

Reconnection 

-----

You so neat and pristine,

me not even knowing how to sweep,

it must have been torture

before it was love,

but that night we finally saw 

we had kindred souls 

running around Eusoff Hall carpark 

in the pouring rain, chatting, laughing.

A bond forged in a storm

will surely weather,

so we kept in touch

off and on over the years

but now we chat 

every single day,

a feat I can't accomplish 

even with my husband some days,

 

all thanks to...

Wordle, Waffle, Quordle! 

Your 3 tries vs my 4,

4567 and 5 stars - hurrah!

We talk of other things too,

your mum and mine,

share our writings, our music, 

our lives outside these games,

but, it gives me such comfort to know

I can speak to you anytime now 

of words, unfinished,

dear roommate of mine.

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day13 #reconnectionprompt #opentocrit #wip

reconnection

Laavanya

my dearest roommate

you so neat and pristine,

me not even knowing how to sweep,

it must have been torture,

before it was love,

but we finally saw we had kindred souls 

that night 

running around Eusoff Hall carpark 

in the pouring rain

A bond forged in stormy weather 

will surely nurture itself 

so we kept in touch

off and on over the years

but now we chat 

every single day

a feat I can't accomplish 

even with my husband some days

 

all thanks to...

Wordle, Waffle, Quordle! 

Your 3 tries vs my 4

3456 for both of us hurrah,

5 Stars - High Five! 

And we talk of other things too

share our writings 

our music

our lives outside of games 

But, it gives me such comfort 

to know 

I can speak to you anytime

of words, unfinished.

#jemstones #spwm24 # spwm24day15 #reconnectionprompt #opentocrit

one that got away

The One That Got Away

You came atrilling at our window

Striking a pose

Showing off your colours

Then you chose to rest

On my neighbour's head

Whose wife yelled for help

We came

We saw

We fell in love with a blue-green ball of fluff

My son got a roommate

My daughter became official toy-maker

The room got a branches and paper makeover 

Morning and afternoons were about song

Evening about birdbath

And sunflower seeds

We looked forward to growing old with you

But in just three months

You found an open window

And now we have a bird shaped hole

gaping in our hearts

Farewell my love, may you fly free and strong

#jemstones #spwm24 #spwm24day12 #thealmostloveprompt #opentocrit

gift

A last minute dash for a perfect farewell gift 

led me to the kids bookstore 

Quest for the Perfect Farewell Gift

In desperation, at lunchm U rushed 

for the nearest mall.

The only bookstore there a kid's one,

I got her "I Love Mummy".

I almost blushed when I gave it to her,

But

That book brought tears to her eyes,

for being a new mum 

was harder than work

and she needed to hear those exact words at that time 

So my gift worked better for her

than the poetry books for my poetic friends 

and what do you know

we still keep in touch. 

#jemstones #theinexpensiveprompt #spwm24day11 #spwm24 #opentocrit

villenelle

5 tercets

1 quartrain

1. line 1 rhyme with line 3

2. end with line 1

3. end with line 3

4. end with lime 1

5. end with line 3 

6. lines 1 and 3 become lines 3 and 4

7. lines 2 in every stanza rhyme 

e.g  do not go gentle into the good night rage rage against the dying light 

the art of losing isn't hard to master

... their loss is no disaster 

none of these will bring disaster

it wasn't a disaster

it may look like disaster 

------

need a super 1st line and 

a last word of the third line

line 1: sent/ went/ scent/ meant/ reinvent

line 3: present 

I'd like to present 

nothing better than the present

waiting for present to be past and future to be present 

who needs a present 

let me present 

place

Layan Sithi Vinayagar Temple

Keong Saik Road

The bell rings out

reverberating through the walls

and our very veins 

gathering our wandering thoughts

into one stream 

towards Him

our beloved potbellied Ganesha,

three in step

garlended in marigold

his curled trunk 

bestowing blessings upon us

The nadawaram and melam thankfully will have were u

the melodious strain of the Devaram follows⁹following as MR option left left need in in to and to of 999⁹9pm the 99

music for the go

We begin my rounds

one for each of his 108 names

He tells us

all will be well

if not now then soon

for He is already there

waiting 

for us

limerick

 you entered teenage

I entered old age 

you hacked my phone

so you have 23 hours 

of screen time a day 

1st

2nd

5th rhyming 

funny. 

2 opp words

about a friend or self

you entered teenage,

ushered in my old age 

hacked my phone

to increase your screen time

till I took it, in outrage

A witch upon her broom

I rush into his room

only to find it neat

I forgot, his friends today he meets

in person not on zoom

 

today I feel like crumpling

I feel like crumpling into a mess 

After seeing the doctors with you

But I guess it should be ok

to feel this way 

when my child is ill and in pain 

in unexplained ways

chronically wincing 

gasping 

for you, today is a  good day when

coz for 2 hours your pain was manageable 

I'm not sure how to do this- 

stay strong, cheerful, positive

 

it sucks

but I guess I'll learn 

, 

darling 

I've been learning 

since before you were born

5 years in waiting, 

I learned patience and hope,

at temples and churches 

at wells and up mountains 

when you turned up inside me, 

a tiny heartbeat, just a seed

I learnt to carry a secret - 

that I had life growing, 

you actually growing inside me

8 months pregnant 

I attended a Halloween party,  

sat too near the band

it was so loud for you, 

you kicked my placenta out of shape

and I learned to rest, for you

when you popped out of me, 

all perfection 

I learned wonder like never before 

I only wanted to spend every minute with you,

Jealously guarding every act,

I even resented my mum 

changing your diapers! 

When you were 6 months old, 

and I rushed home from work,

I learnt love 

from the way you gurgled and gazed 

at my face

like I was the only thing that mattered 

When i breast fed you

I learned babies bite

and also that you learn fast- 

after one smack you never bit again

When you turned one 

I learned to organise themed parties-  the zoo, under the sea, stars, birds 

strawberry shortcake, princess Sophia 

art, Harry potter, Greek gods 

and most recently 

Taylor swift, 

from you I learned when it comes to parties 

I rock!

When you were two

I learned to miss you.

Leaving you at playschool

tore me in two

When you were 5, 6, 7, I learnt to see the world anew with you, read new books,

in fact I learned the Ramayana with you

at 10, I learnt fear when you went for your first major procedure 

then I learnt denial

at what a chronic condition meant

I learnt to cherish your pealing laugh

esp since I hear it much less often

it hasn't been all bad

I learned to be part of the phenomenon that is taylor swift

thanks to your love for her, I love her too

so yes, 

now 5 years later, 

you are still in pain

and I'm still 

learning 

with you