rally frog

Was at a rally yesterday 

Which was fiery fun and all

But what really caught my eye

Was this frog

Jumped right past my foot 

And looked at us all

Like 

What you doing in my spot?

Must have been confounding

to have so many giants congregating 

in an otherwise quiet field 

He handled it really well

No panic jumping

Just stood took a few hops here and there, 

Gunning for shadows initially

But people moved their feet 

My heart hopped each time too

But i needn't have worried

That little fellow found a tuft of slightly taller grass 

and stayed put for Pritam's speech

Watching us instead of the stage 

Gauging our reaction

Waving his green arms in synchrony with the yellow hammers

He moved away just when He Ting started

Good thing too

His exact spot was underfoot a second later 

Almost like he had a sixth sense for survival you know?

#jemstones #spwm25 #noprompt #electionfever 

day 29

You said I could do better than list 

Make my words work harder 

You said my love for Sylvia was intense

But I should leave it at that, not pen it in 

You said I should stick to the lyrical

Less wordplay 

So here i revel in playing with words

Lyrically, mythically, Lady Lazarusly 

For me alone to own

poetic talk

Isnt that what poets do

Shift words around 

Shift the air with the words

Shift thoughts emotions through the wordsthh 

sci fi

When the sci fi section moves into current affairs

One wonders what else is there to wonder about 

Even the deep sea bed, 

Fertile ground for tentacled horrors

With dangling lights to lure prey,

undersea volcanoes frothing lava in water,

Risks being mined, 

exposed to banality

Outerspace once out of reach

is swimming with debris

Earth is crumbling, festering, boiling, melting, exploding

It's only a matter of time

Before sci fic dreams

Lie in historical fiction

#jemstones #spwm25 #spwm25Day21 #plscrit #SciFiPrompt

to be a parent

To be a parent

Is a go on a journey most trodden

And still forge your path alone

To cheer lead kids to believe in themselves when they don't 

Give them that shoulder to cry on 

In a loss

Pick up and move on  

after a loss

The Night of the Loss 

When the smiles

for the camera, wellwishers

are taken down

the delirium of being on the 9pm news

wears off

and going to bed has been put off 

as long as possible

sobs wrack the bony shoulders 

under the weight of loss 

after months of practice

 

the heart twisting 

with each new wave 

of dashed hopes, self -recrimination

wanting to be better, 

care less, but unable to,

she folds into her sister

who lets her cry

soothes her to sleep

tells her tomorrow is another day.

#jemstones #spwm25 #noprompt

#opentocrit 

Tears fall fast on the sister's lap

Who hugs her as she whispers

Of course you fight to win, 

If not why fight at all

wanting to be a better loser 

but wanting to wail as well 

with the worry that she let the team down

she folds into her sisters lap

to ask why

When the

And the well wishers hugged and thanked while s

to write a speech

To write a speech 

is to watch a blank page vanish 

under black marks that signify 

thoughts taking shape, 

thoughts that must ebb and flow 

in the easy cadence of speech,

harnessing the power of three

so ideas breeze through the audience, 

with cascading words that take hold 

of the imagination,

connect to the world they know 

to bridge to one they don't,

with a touch of sass, but never crass.

Strike that, add this, shift it to the end, 

call upon an idiom but give it a twist 

so it stays fresh.

Say it once, then say it again,

ask a question

that has only one answer, yours.

Anticipate what the other will say

Then swoop in with swagger

To win the day

Let your eyes widen,

hands slash the air,

whisper first then boom,

but only speak 

of what you know to be true

and the audience is yours!  

#jemstones #spwm25day4 #plscrit #InnerEchoPrompt

prometheus

Would Prometheus weep today to see

us scorch the other in fury

forests sporting orange grey

corals bleach in shame

the hole in the fabric of the sky 

mother Gaia pillaged for greed

sucked into a vortex, 

spinning darker, deeper 

than the pit of Tartarus? 

Would he turn to the eagle himself, 

chest open, 

kick brother Atlas in the knees

so this marble tumbles 

off his mighty shoulders

back into Chaos,

to start again

this time without fire?

#jemstones #spwm25 #spwm25day18 #PrometheusPrompt #plscrt

Might he open up his chest himself 

to the great bird in despair 

Join that guy rolling the rock foreve 

planet poem

Celestial meeting to discuss trade

Red rain spurs the god of war on Mars 

Venus tosses her hair as she steps out of water

Jupitor looms large trident in hand

Gaia twirls in her blue green gown

Saturn 

Mercury (god of commerce and messenger), Venus (goddess of love and beauty), Mars (god of war), Jupiter (king of the gods), Saturn (god of agriculture), Uranus (god of the sky), Neptune (god of the sea), and Pluto (god of the underworld). 

Cocktail Party for the Gods

Mercury sent a message

Said he'd be late

Venus glistened in, Cupid in tow

Hair dripping wet

Gaia swirled in blue green silk 

Bosom heaving

Mars stormed in

Eyes and swords abalze

Jupitor adjusted his crown

64 moons fanning his ego

Saturn ran rings round the room

Topping up the salad bowls

Uranus stood in the balcony

Smouldering at Gaia

Neptune created waves

Tossing his windswept hair

Pluto brooded in the basement

Having lost his membership

Bacccus tended the bar

Orpheus led the band

Drunk on divine nectar

They missed Prometheus

Slip away with a torch.

#jemstones #spwm25 #spwmday17 #wip #somuchfuntowrite

#plscrit

See references: 

Mercury: the messenger god

Venus: goddess of love and beauty Mars: god of war 

Jupiter: king of the gods

Saturn: god of agriculture

Uranus: god of the sky 

Neptune: god of the sea

Pluto: god of the underworld

day 14

I became the girl I said I wouldn't 

I used to worship George of Famous Five 

for her flat refusal of gender roles,

her unruly short curls, her scowl, 

for why should girls have sunny smiles,

only to have my Sec 3 teacher beam at me 

when scanning the class for feminine girls

And i used to rail and seethe inside,

at little Beth getting everyone tea 

while Fatty condescended 

Only to find myself, voluntarily, 

preparing instant noodles for friends on a trip

while they gushed at how homely I was 

And now I am the one 

with biscuits and tea 

for girls at debate practice

gummies for cranky kids on planes 

homemade cake for meetings

having embraced that

I can be a feminine feminist 

who throws a hellava good party.

#jemstones #spwm25 #spwm25day24 #spwmday16 #plscrit #2in1

 #ResistancePrompt #GirlPrompt

company of poets

“When I am most hurt, / this is how I see the world, / monochrome, the contrast turned / way up.” This is from Leila Chatti’s poem “Seaside,” published in 32 Poems (No. 41, Summer 2023). How do you see the world when you are most hurt? Spend a few minutes either thinking or freewriting about this question, and then write a poem with whatever comes to mind.  You can take your poem in any direction you choose. It doesn’t have to directly answer this question or respond to the lines from Leila Chatti’s poem.

day 11 punch dialogue

day 10 narrative cyxle

day 9

Shall I compare thee to an IPhone

Thou art more lovely and more sleek

Rough thumbs do swipe the shiny screens alone

And each new release stays new barely a week

Sometimes too hot its silver body burns

And often is its battery life dimmed

And every joker sometimes yearns

To chance one that is different trimmed

But thy x factor shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that style thou ow’st;

Nor shall Elon brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal instagram posts thou followers grow’st:

So long as attention spans 60 sec or less

So long lives this remix, so dont stess

#jemstones #spwm25Day9 #WorkItOutOnTheRemixPrompt #plscrit #wip

 

day 8

V2

Saw the news

Decided to pop back into bed

The bears have the right idea

Sleep off winter, wake up in spring

I might need an alarm though 

Not sure how long this winter may be

But... what if I dont recognise the world 

when I wake up

That could be disorientating, 

to say the least

Like America may be yelling 

"My kingdom for an egg"

China may be holding peace talks

Between US and THEM

Penguins may be charging us 

Gawking tax

Russia, China and US may have swallowed

Ukraine, Taiwan and Greenland

Malaysia may claim back Singapore

Africa all of Mankind

Earth may have quaked and sobbed so much 

Mars may be more attractive 

Esp after US nukes Iran 

And rest of the world nukes US

But Musk may be the only one repopulating it

A new world order in 10 weeks? 

Definitely possible

Would be dull actually 

If nothing changed 

Wake me up though wont you

When the dust has settled?

#jemstones #spwm25day8 #OutAndUpPrompt

 

---

Saw the news

Decided to pop back into bed

The bears have the right idea

Sleep off winter, wake up in spring

I might need an alarm though 

Not sure how long this winter may be

But... what if I dont recognise the world 

when I wake up

That could be disorientating, 

to say the least

Like America may be yelling 

"My kingdom for an egg"

China may be holding peace talks

Between EU and US

Penguins may be charging us 

Gawking tax

Russia, China and US may have swallowed

Ukraine, Taiwan and Greenland

Malaysia may claim back Singapore

Africa all of Mankind

Earth may have quaked and sobbed so much 

Mars may be more attractive 

Esp after US nukes Iran 

And rest of the world nukes US

But Musk may be the only one repopulating it

A new world order in 10 weeks? 

Definitely possible

Would be dull actually 

If nothing changed 

Wake me up though wont you

When the dust has settled?

#jemstones #spwm25day8 #OutAndUpPrompt

 

day 7

Letter to younger self

1. At 11 you worry aboit curly hair. Trust me curly hair rocks

2. At 10 you wanted to be a boy coz all the stories you read the boys did the fun and dangerous stuff oe the girls who looked like boys. Update. You do all that and more as a girl

3. When you picked up that book at 10 in relief it became a lifellong habit thank goodnes

4 you changed too. When you read outsiders you cried when johnny died. When darryl cried you said you deserve it now a parent you cry when darryl cries. 

And god of small things omg you felt so much for the characters now you als yourself what was she thinking.  Who was she to mess with his life like that. 

Whats happened to tou

Play tennis allyou can. Too soon you wont be able to

day 5

Walk up to centre stage

Wait for the spotlight

Now start 

Some days,

I'd like to be a better person 

but I'm not sure how

when I'm lying in bed 

drained out of every ounce of energy,

watching the ceiling fan whirr my dreams into the air fragmented

Pause for effect 

Like, I'd like to 

watch soccer with the son

dance with the youngest

laugh with the eldest

Wistful smile 

I'd like to write poetry 

Maybe I will.

Exit stage left ( nor pursued by bear).

#jemstones #spwm25day5 #plscrit #StageDirectionsPrompt

---

Some days,

I'd like to be a better person 

but I'm not sure how,

when I'm lying in bed 

drained out of every ounce of energy,

watching the ceiling fan whirr my dreams into the air fragmented

Like I'd like to 

watch soccer with the son

dance with the youngest

laugh with the eldest

I'd like to write poetry 

Maybe I will.

I 

chantek

Cantik may be my favourite word in Malay

A language I should know so much better

A word as soft, endearing, cheeky sweet in sound as in meaning...

A smile the only way to respond

when a grandfather greets

his knee high princess, 

wearing a paper crown

Cantik lah! 

*Pronounced as "chantek"

day 4

V5 

To write a speech 

is to watch a blank page vanish 

under black marks that signify 

thoughts taking shape, 

thoughts that must ebb and flow 

in the easy cadence of speech,

harnessing the power of three

so ideas breeze through the audience, 

with cascading words that take hold 

of the imagination,

connect to the world they know 

to bridge to one they don't,

with a touch of sass, but never crass.

Strike that, add this, shift it to the end, 

call upon an idiom but give it a twist 

so it stays fresh.

Say it once then say it again,

ask a question

that has only one answer, yours,

let your eyes widen,

hands slash the air,

whisper first then boom,

but only speak 

of what you know to be true

and the audience is yours!  

#jemstones #spwm25day4 #plscrit #InnerEchoPrompt

----

V4

To write a speech 

is to watch a blank page vanish 

under black marks that signify 

thoughts taking shape, 

thoughts that must ebb and flow 

in the easy cadence of speech,

harnessing the power of three,

so ideas breeze through the audience, 

with cascading words that take hold 

of the imagination,

connect to the world they know 

to bridge to one they don't,

with a touch of sass, but never crass

Strike that, add this, shift it to the end, 

call upon an idiom but give it a twist 

so it stays fresh

Let your eyes widen

Hands slash the air

Whisper first then boom

But only speak 

of what you know to be true

And the audience will be yours!  

#jemstones #spwm25day4 #plscrit #InnerEchoPrompt

---

V3

To write a speech 

is to watch a blank page vanish 

under black marks that signify 

thoughts taking shape, 

thoughts that must ebb and flow 

in the easy cadence of speech,

harnessing the power of three,

so ideas breeze through the audience, 

with cascading words that take hold 

of the imagination,

connect to the world they know 

to bridge to one they don't,

with a touch of sass, but never crass

Strike that, add this, shift to the end, 

call upon an idiom but give it a twist 

so it stays fresh

And of course always speak 

of what you know to be true

And the audience will be yours!  

#jemstones #spwm25day4 #plscrit #InnerEchoPrompt

--

V2 

To write a speech 

is to watch a blank page vanish 

under black marks that signify 

thoughts taking shape, 

thoughts that must ebb and flow 

in the easy cadence of speech,

harnessing the power of three,

so ideas breeze through the audience, 

with cascading words that take hold 

of the imagination,

connect to the world they know 

to bridge to one they don't,

tap on humor 

with a touch of sass, but never crass

Strike that, add this, shift to the end, 

call upon an idiom but give it a twist 

so it stays fresh

And of course always speak 

of what you know to be true

And the audience will be yours!  

--'

To write a speech 

is to watch a blank page vanish 

under black marks that signify 

thoughts taking shape, 

thoughts that must ebb and flow 

in the easy cadence of speech,

harnessing the power of three,

with cascading words that take hold 

of the imagination,

connect to the world they know 

to bridge to one they don't,

tap on humor they lap up,

with a touch of sass, but never crass.

Strike that, add this, 

shift that to the end, 

call upon an idiom

but give it a twist 

so it stays fresh

And of course 

always speak from the heart 

of what you know to be true

And the audience will be yours, forever. 

day 3

Some days I can't take it any more

When I've been up since 2am

Writing debate speeches for the youngest 

And so missed the pasta that had gone bad, 

And so had the youngest fall violently sick 

Just when i was at the airport seeing off my folks

And so had to rush home to take her to the doctors 

And give her meds

And long to collape into bed

Only to find...

I can't take it anymore

That the son went to tuition 

Without the test he failed

And still 

To have him beg me for permisson 

to watch a movie with his friends the next day

That i gave because he wore me out

To have him home, lost to the laptop for 4 hours, while i coached and cajoled fhe youngest to have confidence in her debates

Without touching his homework without me hovering and reminding

I can't take it anymore

Work

The kids

I couldn't even write this poem 

Though it's writing itself now

I can't take it anymore.

day 1

A poem that is big loud and full of sound

What is loud

Surround Sound

My son's basketball 

thud thud thudding

My husband

mmchmmn chewing 

My daughters heaahahahhaaaayah! 

laughter pealing 

The pressure cooker whistling

hissing steaming 

Coocoo tweet tweet whew pee

pitch perfect morning symphony 

The roaring bus 

gathering speed at green light

Doors slamming in the wind and rain

and, like thunder after lightening

"Close the door proeprly!"