If I Can Own The Stars In The Sky

If I can own the stars in the sky,
I’ll give them all to you.
They , unlike diamonds and other gems,
Never get pass into another’s hand;
You need not stow them away
In vaults just to keep robbers at bay.

They stay up there, those silent jewels;
you can safely share
With friends and foes 
Yet not despair
Over losses ; claim they might but
Who really care ? 

If we can view those stars shining in the deep blue sky ,
Happy indeed we should be 
For then, that night must be a night of peace
And tired arms are at rest.

tjs 

For Singapore's 48th Birthday

 Hearken , Singaporean!

Let not our small size
Get you all down ;
The globe’s the country , 
Singapore’s our hometown.

Once , a sleepy village ;
Now , a super boomtown.
So, let ’s get serious 
And stop playing the clown .

Tighten your necktie ;
Fasten your belt.
Straighten your backbone;
Be  worthy of your gown!

 26/07/2013

Por! Por!! （婆！婆！)

 I chanced upon you 
 the other day
 while walking aimlessly
 among these blocks ;
 saw the little sparrows you fed
 chirping , hopping , pecking 
 on the grains you spread 
  along this common corridor.
  Quite consoled , really , to see
  you in deed still  feed
  those  small , brown , lovely
  quiet visitors , but 
  thought it strange 
  that you should appear
  in that frail fragile frame ,
  bent and shaky ,
  whispering , praying
  as you scattered  grains
  on the hard cement floor.
  I stepped forth
  wanting to inquire
  but you disappeared indoor
  when a shrill child’s voice 
  shattered the quiet with this call , 
            
  “Por! Por! Por! Por! Por! Por!”
                                 
                         
    ( 婆！婆!”  means grandmother-
    mother’s mother ;in short-
    maternal grandmother )  
　　

Season's Greetings From Afar

A leaf from the delicate past 
Crossed some thousand miles
Powered by the wintry strength
Fluttered , as spring warmed up
To melt the icy hardness 
Into a gentle breeze ,and
It landed lightly by my dinner plate ;
Lay there unnoticed.

I , having had my fill ,
Grabbed , as though, it was a cleaning tissue  
To clear my mess .
In the process ,
Tore it into shreds .
Then I slept.

When the morning called ,
In my dim blurry eyes ,
I saw lots of scribblings
Of disjointed season’s greetings 
Scattered on the floor.

Early One Morning At Marina Bay

( for Dr. D. Lim and Dr. Wong F Y )

The rising crescent stays
A silent witness to our history.
      Small , our island is ;
      Tall, our buildings stand.


Across Marina , the multi-colored tinted glitters
Glimmer many a guiding light;
Together they form such a wonderful sight.
The many lifeboats glide smoothly across the bay;
The beacon on nearby floating lifebuoy seems to say:


The ideals we harbor are a hope;
A better life for us, and
Perhaps for the rest of humankind.

Changi Village

I found my once paradise
With the same old familiar local name,
Thriving with much life-
A near kampong-like place,
Where I can stop to stare far
beyond the gentle lapping waves.

I found this place ; then,
Our childhood paradise
Where , as children we ran wild
On hot fine sand,
We built to our fantasies,
Naked , unabashed and free
With space enough for some poetry.

I found you; now,
Not so much my childhood paradise-
That huge metallic canopy
Dwarfs the sarabat stalls of those days.
No more can we simply sit and sip
Teh tarik and while our time away.

Though , you are
No more my childhood paradise,
Consoled , I am to walk
Those meandering wooden board ways;
Breathe in deeply as breezes bring
Sounds like music pieces
We once like-
A moment of respite
For our much embattled spirits to restore
With a philosophic smile.

Needles

Needles

Needles on your right.
Needles on your left.
Needles on your thighs.
Needles , you can't hide.
Too many needles you see.
Needles ,you don't feel.
The one who feel is me.