Archive for the ‘Poetry & Quotes’ Category
portraits of ah poh
Love these candid pictures of Ian’s Ah Tai. She looks lovely, doesn’t she? She turns 93 this year.
O l d A g e
I used to think that growing old was reckoned just in years,
But who can name the very date when weariness appears?
I find no stated time when man, obedient to a law,
Must settle in an easy chair and from the world withdraw.
Old Age is rather curious, or so it seems to me.
I know old men at forty and young men at seventy-three.
I’m done with counting life by years or temples turning gray.
No man is old who wakes with joy to greet another day.
What if the body cannot dance with youth’s elastic spring?
There’s many a vibrant interest to which the mind can cling.
‘Tis in the spirit Age must dwell, or this would never be:
I know old men at forty and young men at seventy-three.
Some men keep all their friendships warm,
and welcome friendships new,
They have no time to sit and mourn the things they used to do.
This changing world they greet with joy and never bow to late;
On every fresh adventure they set out with hearts elate
From chilling fear and bitter dread they keep their spirits free
While some seem old at forty they stay young at seventy-three.
So much to do, so much to learn, so much in which to share!
With twinkling eyes and minds alert some brave both time and care.
And this I’ve learned from other men, that only they are old
Who think with something that has passed the tale of life is told.
For Age is not alone of time, or we should never see
Men old and bent at forty and men young at seventy-three.
when evening comes
w h e n e v e n i n g c o m e s
5.52pm
6.05 pm
Had spotted this particular path in such fine “setting” several times before but only had the chance to take a snap of it this evening. I just love the beautiful colors of sunset!
To enjoy the view (I’ll take better one next time 
I have the following poem by Amy Michelle Wiley to share. Reading this particular poem of hers is like listening to beautiful music. Thanks for responding to my email, Amy! If I could paint, I’d pick my brush and without hesitation, paint the words of thanks!
Click here to see more of Amy’s work
W h e n E v e n i n g C o m e s o f A g e
If I could paint, I’d take my brush
And swipe it smooth across the page.
I’d try to show creation’s hush
At dusk when evening comes of age.
I’d dip into the faintest hue
And give the sky a tinge of pink.
Then guide a swath of deepest blue
In which a tiny star would wink.
The grass would be a mossy green
With flowers blooming in delight.
The dancing lake would catch the gleam
Of mountains deepening out of sight.
A bird would soar with silver wing
To touch the clouds the purples hold.
Oh, with my brush I’d make it sing,
Above the valley bathed in gold.
I’d paint a girl with rosy cheek
Who’d kneel beneath a leafy dome.
The setting sun would give a peek
Of her awaited heav’nly home.
If I could paint, I’d show the world
Creation’s blush upon the page,
Her glorious beauty all unfurled
At dusk when evening comes of age
friday once more
I’m yearning for good, sunny weather!
When I looked out the window at 6am this morning, it looked so gloomy and wet! It looked as though it was only 4am! Weather forecast for today: rain, rain & rain! It’s now 12.30pm, and it is still raining!
With the ongoing house, drain and road constructions nearby where we live, heavy rain like this isn’t good at all. We’d end up with clogged drains which could result in flash floods, just like last month.
Anyway, it’s friday once more. Leaving something worth pondering over… enjoy your weekend!
Alex Noble wrote, “Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather is the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey.”
~~~Oo~0OlO0~oO~~~
A t L a s t
Believe success is what we want it to be. And we usually want it to be something different than we did last year—or 10 years ago. I also believe we can be successful in some areas of our lives but not so in others, and it is up to us to figure out if that’s OK.
Some of us have challenging, difficult work lives but have fulfilling relationships, a strong bond with family members, and a good sense of self. To me, such a person is more of a success than the person who makes millions of dollars but has no friends, no feeling of contentment, and weak (or no) bonds with family. – Anonymous-
Wednesday Reflection
..
as children
they need more than just food on the table
more than just learning how to read and write
and sometimes, love is just not enough too
still, the fact remains
as children
they need to be prepared for the future
a future we can only predict
unfortunately
as parents
stepping back, reflecting and planning are just the few lots
how i sometimes wish upon the stars
wishing i know
what the future holds
so that
i can be much more prepared
On Off Relationship
this very moment, i’m so inspired to blog something poetry-related. this post is going to be one of those ‘me’ ’ posts, so hang on in there if you think like i’m bragging! lol just feel like sharing with everyone who reads this blog about my relationship with poetry.
i would not say that I have a strong relationship with poetry. i immensely enjoyed prof chebakova’s class when i enrolled for her introduction to literature during my uniyears. she was so poetic; her passion for the subject was obvious. infact, she inspired me to express myself in poetry. eventho’ it was a brief session, frankly she and her sharing style had gotten started me with free style poem writing, and i often ended with ones that tell a story. i soon realized that writing poetry was a good way of releasing unwanted emotions without being destructive. you can get personal with poetry writing! However, it has been years since i’ve last written any new ones, mainly due to time constraint and focus. poetry wasnt a full-time commitment but something that was done leisurely.
i do have a number of poems which id like to review – perhaps re-write BUT then i have said this in the past and still did very little to it. while unpackrating, found one of my favs which i’m in a mood to share here.
the children’s laughter… could be heard miles away
joyfully, they sang and danced the glittering lights away
the mood seemed contagious yet
a little girl walked toward me
tears rolling down her cheek, her teddy bear tightly hugged as if never to ever let it go
“Everyone looks happy…”meekly she murmured
she stared out the window, weeping
“Mum & Dad left me and I don’t know why”
my heart sank, I hugged her tightly as if never to ever let her go,
then toward the Christmas tree we paced when
so softly she whispered, “Every Christmas, I always wish for”
she pointed at the gifts so neatly wrapped
under the Christmas tree
‘Mum, Dad’ painted on each, the words so carefully written
then, she gazed at the top where an angel sat
her look, hopeful
here’s a little’ story behind this poem. it was such a brief encounter tending “misplaced” children but good enough of a memory/experience to have stayed on with me til today. good enough of a reminder that life is so “delicate”. “misplaced” as in not properly attended to by parents because they have to work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet. so, what happened was they either just leave their children at home by themselves or have someone come over to see if the children were ok.
i particularly remember megan and brandy, both aged 8 years then. it’s a wonder how they were able to carry decent conversations like adults at such young age! i was amazed. they were really, very chatty kids! sad but true, there were times when they were left all by themselves for days. i remember many other cases of the same kind, but these girls’ is one which will stay with me for a very long time.
real mothers
”Mother & Son”
Picture grabbed from www.dailypainters.com
…beautiful…something worth pondering over, something worth keeping:)
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn’t come out of carpets.
Real Mothers don’t want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask ‘Why me?’ and get their answer when a little voice says, ‘Because I love you best.’
Real Mothers know that a child’s growth is not measured by height or years or grade…It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother…
4 YEARS OF AGE – My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE – My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE – My Mother doesn’t really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE – Naturally, Mother doesn’t know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE – Mother? She’s hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE – That old woman? She’s way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE – Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE – Before we decide, let’s get Mom’ s opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE – Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE – Wish I could talk it over with Mom.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair . The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul … It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
~~~Oo~0OlO0~oO~~~
Food for Thoughts
It’s true, isn’t it? That “there are always flowers for those who want to see them”.
Mom saves things for future generation – for her grandchildren. I asked what were all those stuff piled up in her room, She said “a lot. Some are good for Deidre, Daphne and so on”. It’s not quite right to claim that all those stuff are cramping her style or suffocating her – maybe they don’t. I think Mom probably sees them as “comfort”.
Location: Dad’s backyard
Update: Ian asks “Why is the wood purple?” To make story short, I replied, ” I photoshoped and the purple color looks nice!.” And he asks again, “where’s the shop”?? “Why is purple nice??
Favorite e-magazine
Words of Wisdom
Simple Plreasure
You know that song, ‘Sunshine on a rainy day, makes my soul, drip, drip away’? It’s all about life’s simple pleasures – waking up and taking the time to stretch every limb … pulling off your socks and feeling the grass with your toes … a mug of creamy, hot cocoa with marshmallows on a cold night … getting to the bottom of a to-do list … sifting through an old box of photographs you haven’t looked at in years (Country Threads).
