When was
my smartest moment?
it was when I realised
I was not smart--my enlightenment!

Do you speak
from reason
or from feeling?
this defines you as a person

Why do you wish
to be remembered
rather than be forgotten?
Do you have an ego-problem?

I speak every day to life
and this is what I say: hi I'm still alive!

Everyone wants to do something
all I want in life is to do NOTHING

Another stupid question:
Why is this man always
walking in the street?
He is homeless!

Nothing is certain
thus I'm uncertain
whether you would read this
for whatever reason

Why is the bird so sure
it would not fall while on wing?
Why does the fish never doubt
it could survive in any water, swimming?

Life revolves around
either attachment or detachment
( the in-between is indifference)
what is your sentiment?

Truth got up one morning
and in astonishment it did ask:
'How do I know whether
I'm real or a bluff'?

Don't grumble!

Does the rose care
that no one is there?

What's that
we can't teach a child?

What's that a child
can teach us?

Is there a heart
that never does waver?
Is there a love
that never does suffer?

What is
thinking?
where is
its dwelling?

This is easy--knowing-
but how far is it from understanding?

There are many reasons
why people look forward to week-ends
you have yours--only that, hopefully
on Mondays you don't need to make amends.

A stupid question-
'What am I?'

Seek merit
forget benefit

Life is never 'complete' and this makes it enchanting-
we would be like children, wondering in our innocence.

If its veil were lifted, there would be a sense of loss
as the wonder and mystery would have gone-
no longer is the awe.

Incompleteness is rare beauty.

It was ignorance, doubt and folly
that finally led me to self-discovery.

Myself I am
       yet to define
       someday perhaps
       I would find the right line.

Silly questions I didn't ask
  none had put me to task

I went, I listened, people I saw
I returned, lost hope, it made me sore

True love doesn't need to make any vows
on its own it silently glitters and tenderly flowers.

She loves me
  yes, she adores me
  she knows I'm silly
  but love her truly

The angst of living
   is the in-between
  
  the daily grinding
  the regular scene

  the waiting and wishing
  the sighing over what has been

tomorrow ---the unknown and unsettling thing
none could foresee whether the pasture there would be green

Long ago, from the well of friendship I drank
     I threw out!  The water tasted like acid--it also stank!

Let me be forthright and honest
   I am never what you always thought
   you missed the tree for the forest
   you never discovered what I was NOT!

I have walked the way
        of what a gentleman should be
        I found it never ever did pay
        henceforth I became a new me.

Don't dream

           act

           the former is intangible

           the latter is a fact

A small voice is mine
but I'll not bow out-
a democracy life is
I'll speak bold and loud

in protest or defiance
however  large the crowd-
a single heart I might touch
and be silently proud.

The city's traffic summon does read:
Mr Goodman, you did exceed the speed limit
our Office does not allow any offender to plead
appear at the Magistrate Court on....: that's it.

I know you once taught your only son
the law without exception to obey
to be responsible for whatever he has done
never to stray from the rightful way.

He grew up to join the Police Force
your every instruction he took to heart
he shut himself from all immoral doors
he did excel in life's ethical art.

With much regret this I must say
you are culpable for what you have done
I have posted this summon this very day
but I remain your loving son.

Life-- the non-negotiable
in most parts unknowable
I'll do just the possible
leave the questions to other people.

I'll be present
    but have nothing
   to say- I'll leave it
   to others who attend

I'll be present
    but have nothing
   to say- I'll leave it
   to others who attend

I am at the brink of time
there's no looking back--
the past dissolves and my life
is in the balance.  A tiny crack

would make me slip
into the abyss of the unknown-
I have chosen this path
and none should I blame--alone

this is my moment of reckoning
yet my heart so assured does rest
life is never to be feared but to be conquered
every challenge it poses has to be addressed

in the singularity and insularity
of the now-- nothing shall stand in my way
all my inner resources I will harness
here my testament I write- I will stay.

I paused
not because
I was lost
events have
moved like
a cinema- screen
pictures upon pictures
have been tossed
all across
before the blink
of the sharpest eye
nor the smartest mind
could digest or think

whatever that's along
the road would never
make me sink
nor bring
me to the brink
of despair-- somehow
I would be able to find
(despite my unbearable thirst)
water to drink
from some remote spring

defeat--call it quits
never does enter
my thinking
it calls for raw unflinching
courage to be a human being^

man at the last
as was at beginning
never a paltry thing#

my pausing
is my renewing
a new breath
I'm taking
my just-resting
a while-- waiting
for my resurrecting

a personal drama
at the crossroad^
a performing
with none watching
the moment of truth^
in the budding

the hard ground
my bed--
with no pillow
nor blanket
but the stars^
are patient and kind
their gentle light
they shed
and these words
they seem to have said:
do not lose heart^
for you will find
your heart-land ahead
only that
you must have faith...^

No longer
could I pretend
the truth has spoken
at the end.

Magistrate, male,    32 years of age
   policeman on duty  30
   the man on the dock 60

Magistrate to policeman : What's the nature of his offence?

Policeman: He cycled in the night on....at... pm without light
This is in contravention of Section....sub-clause....of the Traffic Act 1892

to the defendant: How do you plead?
Defendant:  Not guilty and unjust, Your Honour

Magistrate to policeman: Was he co-operative?
Answer: No Sir, he was angry and gave me a lecture

M:  lecture---about what? The law? Is he a lawyer?

P:   No Sir, he talked about family honour, Chinese filial piety,
Confucius and Chinese civilisation with 5,000 years of history...on and on...

M:  Is he a scholar or historian?

P:  No Sir, he certainly isn't !

M:   Then, who is he?

P:     Sir, I know him very well--he's my father!
He said I had no right to arrest him as that was lack of filial piety.

M:   Hmm, really interesting.  Never had such a case before me.
then to policeman:
       ' Your dad was right!  You should have heeded what he said.
You are wasting Court-time. Case dismissed!

        (newsmen and those who sat in Court gave a loud clap and
shouted: Bravo!)

Do
      Do.....doo.....doo-dooooo I, I, I...... have a
d
     r
       i
         n  
            k....
                drink....dri--nk
                                            king.....drink....
                                                                      dri-nk.....king
                                                                                                 prob,  pro-b..
lem... prob...prob... pro-blem?

   ......spew......
                               you,  you,  bug..bug  bug---gers
why, why.... should you care?     You aren't...aren't my fa---fa--father!

Officer-on-duty to subordinate:  LOCK THIS BABBLER UP!

Look away
      I can't
      it makes
      my blood boil
      
      it's like him
     throwing moral poison
      at the public-square
      on all
      
    
        my integrity and yours
      he wants to destroy
      and this he proclaims:
      ' I am the power
        the authority
        I know it all-
        everything else
        is trash
        only I, I alone
         am the saviour!'

         He scowls
         he grins
         he mocks
         he sneers-

        I've enough....

        If I had a revolver
       I'd immediately draw!

At the river's end
the waters slacken
dusk sets in too soon
the hours darken-

this is my last sailing
destiny's call does beckon
its message I harken
' know there's no return'--

the sky is a shroud of grey tonight
neither moon nor star does glisten
a long-drawn sigh as though the heart is in plight
drifts in the silent air-- sorrow- ridden --

the dreams of youth I recall
how passions then ruled over reason
love was stronger than death and pain
to suffer in its name was pure heaven-

upon manhood's fretful years
lofty thoughts no longer appeared in season
the scene was fraught with remorse and regret
sadly amidst  hopes broken and ideals forgotten--

'life is folly and love a make-believe'
time is indifferent and has heartlessly spoken
old age is reconciled to what has been assigned
in acceptance of doleful days which were once shone golden-

at the river's end the waters begin
to recede and dark shadows loom in the horizon
my eyes are weary and long for a deep sleep
I have no desire upon the dawn to waken.

Don't ever say:
' I can't help it!'
It's sheer giving up
and surrendering
the demise
of your very being

rather that:
' This ordeal
  is my teaching
  my wakening
  in my future doing
  I'll be seeing
my dream materialising !'

Not reason
but the attitude
that decides whether
you feel bad or good

I might give myself a pinch
when I do something stupid
I'd merely pause to think
never hit myself with a big stick!

No one need audit me

I have done that over and over

but too wide is my territory

the picture gets no clearer

We'll take
the journey together
humanity's ties
should never sever

we'll partake
of what's in the larder
distribute and divide
none shall be in hunger

we'll travel
the route farther
to reach out
to every brother and sister

we'll share
the tears of one another
humble our each heart
in devout prayer.

Give us this day our daily bread
and the power to overcome every dread

Our doubts multiply
the more we believe what others say
we have to step back constantly
and keep others' thinking at bay