Hang Tuah, Malacca's Warrior (Legend)
8:14 PM |

Hang Tuah was a courageous warrior in Malacca town,
With four fierce warrior friends, he made it world-renown. 
Pirates who plied the straits, bringing terror to sailing vessels
Were cut down by the rapier keris of Malacca’s five vassals.

So Malacca reigned in the 15th Century with no fear of threat,
Wealth from spices, gold and tin - who could surpass that?

"ships", "ancient ships", "sailing vessels"

Tuah, Jebat, Lekiu, Lekir and Kasturi – skilled in self-defence,
It was Hang Tuah they chose, to lead them in combating stance,  
Though Hang Jebat equalled Hang Tuah in strength and valour,
He gave in to him for he loved him like his own blood-brother.

Malacca watched her five loyal sons fighting evil and strife
With their courage and truth, it was they who gave her life.

"battle", "silat"
Image courtesy of Jennifer Ellison / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Sultan lorded over the people with grand splendour,
The prime minister oversaw peace with dignified grandeur,
The country was in good hands they knew, who’d dare attack,
Business a-flourishing, no thievery, no gang-fights, no slack.

So Malacca, at its zenith of power, blossomed in great form,
Little realizing its tranquility was like calm before a storm.

"sea", "sailing vessels", "vessels", "sailing", "village"

Then one day it happened, Hang Tuah provoked the Sultan’s ire,
“Off with his head”, the king commanded to his prime minister, 
who trembled with foreboding horror, as he had news of an enemy 
waiting with guns and cannons, along the Malaccan sea. 

Malacca mourned, as her child was sent off to be sentenced,
For love of his homeland, in truth and courage he had spoken.

Image : http://www.deviantart.com/

Hang Jebat ran amok; he attacked the palace in angry desperation,
No warrior could fight him; he slashed away their life in aggression,
“If only Hang Tuah is still alive”, cried the frightened Sultan,
“He could have prevented the carnage, the deaths and devastation”. 

Malacca cried, her soul wrenched apart, her strength slowly ebbing,
Two of her greatest warriors down, her weary heart a-bleeding.
Image : http://kay-nua.deviantart.com/

The minister then disclosed a secret, Hang Tuah he did not kill,
He was hidden in a cave, honing his silat, a self-defence skill.
Hang Tuah appeared before the king, prepared to fight with honour,
While Hang Jebat gazed at his friend with happiness and wonder.

It was a sad day indeed for Malacca to see her children in combat,
Both weary, one was going down, as his strength began to ebb.

"silat", "fight", "martial arts"
Image : http://1x.com/photos/

As Hang Jebat’s breathing waned, he could not understand why.
He had done all to avenge his friend who'd been condemned to die,
With tears in his eyes, Hang Tuah held Hang Jebat’s hand,
“My loyalty is first to king,” he said, “then only to family and friend”. 

Thus, when friend vanquishes friend, through pain of death, 
A kingdom loses its will to survive, it takes its last breath.

"Hang Tuah Mural"
A bronze mural of Hang Tuah exhibited at the National History Museum, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/


6 Sept 2008


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Lack of Human Values (Haiku)
8:08 PM |

"Army", "war"
Killing fields of mines
tanks rattle in firing lines
innocent lives die.

Suicide bombers’ spree
maimed bodies thrown far and free
for merit from high.

Bludgeoned from behind
robbed raped or maimed, deeds unkind 
fatal victims lie.
"Stop abuse", "Child abuse", "beat"
An action so gross
a child misused by vile force
no-one hears his cry. 

 26 Aug 2010


Haiku - three-line poem (5, 7, 5 syllables). Non-rhymed.

Image courtesy of Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Human Values (Haiku)
8:07 PM |

"Donate", "Donating", "Helping Hand", "helping"
Bestowed from above
philanthropists give with love
to those who have not.

With free will they rend
time, kindness and helping hand
volunteers unbought.

"Jailed", "Jail", "Prison", "Locked up", His home a prison
apartheid-free his vision
his strength of will sought.

His own life a bet
for country he faces death
a mere soldier’s lot.

4 Apr 2010

Haiku - three-line poem (5, 7, 5 syllables). 
Non-rhymed.


Image courtesy of njaj / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of sakhorn38 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net 


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A Mistaken Catch (Loop)
9:34 PM |

Eons ago beneath the waves of a bright blue sea,
Seaweeds floated green; pretty mermaids swam by,
By the rocks in a cave, two black eyes watched silently,
Silently nearby, the mermaids wiped their gold tresses dry.


Dry were the dark stranger’s lips as he cast out,
Out from his hands, a fishing net he suddenly threw,
Threw it over a sweet mermaid who gave a startled shout,
Shouts of triumph were his though, as with his catch he flew.

"wallpaper", "Night scene" "Lighthouse on Cliff", "Cliff", "Dark Cliff"

Flew up the steps of a tall grey tower way up high,
High on the cliff to where his lonely lighthouse stood,
Stood over his prize as numb she lay, then he told her why
Why he had taken a mermaid; why in the sea he had looked.

"Glitter Mermaid", "Animated Mermaid"
Image : http://www.glitter-graphics.com
Looked for one to talk with; who couldn’t tear away, 
Away from him, the way his wife had done years before, 
Before, he had erred for she did run away, but not so today,
Today he errs for mermaids stay silent when far from the shore. 


10 April 2008


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The Story of Mahsuri (Legend)
7:10 PM |

"beautiful island" "island" "green island" "eagle flying over island" "sea and island" "sea" "beautiful sea scene"

The island lay jewel-green in the deep tropical sea,
The eagles came to nest on the hills above the valley.

In a village, where thatched roofs faced the open sky,
springs gushed free and well-waters were never dry,
Mahsuri lived in this land where beautiful eagles flew,
On Langkawi Island, where casuarina trees grew.


"Countryside", "Country", "Kampung"


The eagles, they spread their wings, reigning free,
The people below watched, with joyous simplicity.

A maiden so fair, she took your very breath away,
Many a warrior would have braved a tiger, to slay,
Betrothed to a fearless headman whom she did adore,
Alas! He was sent off to Siam to win his king a war.

The eagles above screamed aloud in screeching discord,
They tried to warn of treachery, of a blood-red sword,

Mahsuri was left alone, to await her hero’s return,
He had promised her his eternal love and protection.
A minstrel strolled by the village, his voice full of emotion,
He sang of man’s heroic deeds, she stayed behind to listen.

The eagles watched from the hills, the scene below,
Of impending disaster, their instincts told them so.

A kinswoman found Mahsuri’s beauty a massive threat,
which would end, she knew, with this maiden’s death.
Summoning the elders, she announced the heinous crime,
Proof of Mahsuri’s infidelity, was her lost track of time. 

"Fire", "Smoke", "Field", "Smoky field"

The ’langs saw burning fields and impending woe,
They needed to flee from the island, they had to go.

Mahsuri and her lover were dragged to a public square,
Bound, and accused of a union they didn’t share.
She declared her innocence, but no-one heard her cries,
The swordsman, he, nonchalantly sharpened his knives.

No-one knows what happened to the eagles that day,
The helangs started to leave their nest, to fly away.

As the keris plunged in, Mahsuri cursed in hopeless anger,
“This land will rot and burn for seven generations or forever”,
As blood gushed out, it shocked the onlookers at the site,
As proof of her innocence, it spurt out pure-white.

As she breathed her last, the lone eagle screamed up high,
No birds could be seen flying above, in the blood-red sky.

The land was strewn with horrific wars, strife and decay,
Rice fields and beaches were left to burn, the enemy to delay.
For seven generations, gloom settled on the eagles’ land,
sea waters remained clear, no footprints on the black sand.

These were bad times for the people there, sad to say
The helangs disappeared, they continued to stay away.

"Tractor on Field", "Meadow", "Lush fields"

Seven generations have passed, Langkawi is coming alive,
Machines grind on the hills, the land is starting to thrive,
Beaches are criss-crossed with footprints of smiling people,
Stalls and malls side by side, shopping made simple.

"Eagle flying", "The eagle has landed"Good times have come to this land, glad to say
The eagles are returning to the island, to stay.

30 July 2008

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FUNNY ANIMALS (limerick)
6:28 PM |

"cute cat" "cute kitty" "cute" "cat" "kitty" "kitten"
Image : http://www.widescreenwallpapers.org/
There once was a cat with nine lives,
That lived with a litter of wives,
No kitten as son,
No mittens that run,
Lone dad he be if he survives. 



A dog sat by wagging his tail,
Loud blast and he started to wail,
Crawled under a chair,   
Sounds followed him there,
With ear-plugs, he hid in a pail.
"dog" "puppy" "doggie" "cute doggie" "cute dog" "cut puppy" "cute" "sad" "Sad dog" "sad puppy" "depressed"
Image : http://www.wallpaperspictures.net/
"animated frog" "cartoon frog" "frog catching insect" "frog catching fly" "frog flicking his tongue out"
Image : http://www.animateit.net/

A frog, a sweet prey it did spy,
It flicked out its tongue for a fly,
The food was divine,
Like honey with wine,
But eagles do watch in the sky.
"horse" "Black horse" "Majectic horse" "beautiful horse"
A horse it did gallop and neigh,
I got on its back, it said nay,
From high, a great fall,
Not funny at all,
Walked crooked and dazed the whole day.

"cute bear" "bear with her family" "bear" "bear family" "family"

A bear held me tight in its grip,
I bolted to give it the slip,
Was right behind me,
Played dead to get free,
Wish I had not gone on that trip. 
29 Sept 2009
 

(Limerick - humorous poem - five anapestic lines. 
Lines 1, 2 and 5 - seven to ten syllables that rhyme.
Lines 3 and 4 - five to seven syllables that rhyme.

The rhythm of this limerick is:
da DA da da DA da da DA
da DA da da DA da da DA
da DA da da DA
da DA da da DA
da DA da da DA da da DA

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AN ACCIDENT (double ethere)
2:37 PM |

"Car Crash" "Car Crash Gif" "Animated Car Crash" "accident" "car"
Screech……
Bang! Crash!
Two cars smashed,
Both drivers lax,
Glass shatters, blood drips,
Gashes on heads and lips.
Gasps, expletives, screams and shrieks!
Tow trucks chug by expectantly,
Crowd shuffles round, mutters audibly,
As traffic comes to a halt, watches tick.

Sirens wail! Police heed the distress call,
They whistle, bark their commands to all,
Paramedics snip in deft haste,
Victims zoomed to a safe place,
Measuring tapes roll right,
Cars lugged out of sight,
Jams disappear,
In a flash,
All is
Clear.

10 July 2008



Onomatopoeia - Words made from "sounds"
Doube Ethere - One syllable line ending with 10 syllable lines
 

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Sad Santa
12:20 PM |

Shivering, snowbound Santa
Sleigh stuck in the snow,
Seven, striking reindeer straying,
A sleet-and-shuddering storm show.

"santa clause" "Santa and his sleigh" "Santa Sleigh" "Broken Sleigh"
Image : http://www.fullscreensavers.com/

"Santa Clause" "Tired Santa" "Sleeping Santa" "Exhausted Santa"
Image : http://www.glitter-graphics.com/
Sticky, sweaty Santa,
Searing, sweltering, stifling sally,
Surviving scorching sunlight,
Seeing stampeding shoppers’ spree.

Somber sorrowful Santa,
Savings and stuff swiftly spent,
Schedule’s shuffling slowly,
Sponsors subscriptions scant.


Click here to visit VoicesNet.com to read the poem called "SAD SANTA "

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MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS PAST
12:09 PM |

It's December and mum would have started Christmas preparation,

"Glitter Christmas tree" "Glitter tree" "Animated tree"
Image : http://www.glitter-graphics.com/
She’d brush the wooden walls off bugs – hall, room and kitchen,
Dad would do the shopping, marketing and Yule-tree decoration,
While, we, kids got in their way and caused much consternation.

 Mum would sew our frocks, shirts and pants matched inside out,
Dad would cut out old Christmas cards and hang them about,
The star, he shaped from silver and gold cigarette packets he got,
While we messed up the house, danced, played and fought.

"Christmas Image" "Christmas Gifts"
Image : http://www.vector-finder.com/
Mum was a connoisseur of Indian cuisine and western dishes,
Roasting or frying, she would grind her very own spices,
The aroma of her cooking would pervade the surrounding houses,
While we could barely wait for the days to get nearer to Christmas.

 Biscuits, cakes and sweetmeat, we helped mum do the cooking,
Shaping dough with a fork, we’d work till three in the morning,
Shell-shaped biscuits we made, crispy, sugary and mouth-melting, 
"Christmas Treat" "Cookies and Milk" "Christmas animated"
Image : http://www.glitter-graphics.com/
While mum did the frying, we were allowed to do the tasting.

 On Christmas Eve, mum had the chicken fried and turkey roasted,
Dad had the altar cleaned, our clothes ironed and the crib perfected,
The table-cloth was laid, the floor swept and the carpet dusted,
While we had to sleep at noon, so that night we wouldn’t be tired.

Getting ready for midnight mass was a joyous adventure,
Dad would comb my tresses parting the hair in the centre,
Mum in sari, dad with bow-tie and coat, an unforgettable picture,
Off to church, by trishaw we’d go, so walking wouldn’t be a bother.

After months of practice, dad was the conductor of the choir,
Gloriously he sang for he had the voice of baritone and tenor,
If one upstart lacked practice and sang tunelessly, it irked dad’s ire,
To dad, hymns were praises to God sung with homage and honour.
"large crowd" "huge crowd" "big family"
Image : http://www.countryclipart.com/

Come Christmas morning, our house would be full of people, far and near,
Dad's urgent whisper “Make sure, there’s some left for our children, dear,”
Under mum’s watchful eye food was enough for family and friends together,
I'll never forget Christmas aeons ago that was filled with joy and laughter.



Click here to visit VoicesNet.com to read the poem called "MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS PAST" by Jacinta Ramayah, Malaysia

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THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS
7:18 PM |

On the night after Christmas, the house was a sight,
As though the clan had had dinner, with a cat-fight,
The curtains were all awry and hanging in shreds,
The stockings by the warm hearth were missing some threads,
Greasy pots and pans were stacked high under the sink
With gravy dripping over, the glasses with drinks,
The walls were splattered with custard, pudding and pies,
The table-cloth was stained with soup, curry and spice. 

"Dirty" "Dishes" "wash dishes" "dirty plates" "dirty cups"
Image : http://simple.wikipedia.org

Potato chips, coleslaw, roast turkey and chicken,
Nothing was left except the dry bones and tendon,
A sandal lay undone, kicked behind the front door,
The star from above the tree lay crushed on the floor,
Twinkle-lights were spluttering, the candles were out,
Television was on but no movements about,
Poor Infant Jesus had fallen from his manger,
The angels looked bare, their wings had toppled over. 


"angel glitter" "angel animated"
Image : http://www.glitter-graphics.com/
Neatly wrapped presents now lay askew by the tree,
Trimmings and tinsels were full of dust and debris,
All were asleep, only one person was astir,
Who would it be but mum, the soul of Xmas cheer,
She knew she had a few hours before Boxing morn,
To clean the place before the mob came rushing down,
She sighed at the clutter in the kitchen and hall,
A few hours earlier they had been having a ball. 

Mum picked up the clothes that were strewn over the stairs,
The bathroom floor she discovered, was a wet mess,
In the bedroom the kids slept, mumbling and dreaming,
Her good man lay on his back, wheezing and snoring,
“Wake up Amy, Pamela, Helen and Reuben,”
“Please, Patrick and Glenn, come help me in the kitchen,”
Rubbing their eyes, the kids sat up bemused and lost,
Thought they had a second visit from Santa Claus. 

"Santa on the sleigh" "Santa animated" "Santa flying" "Santa and Reindeer"
Image : http://www.animateit.net/

Slowly they turned over and went right back to sleep,
Dreaming of more presents, angels, reindeer and sheep,
Mum trudged wearily back downstairs to scrub and clean,
While wishing Santa had left an elf with his grin,
She put the Babe back and glued on the angels’ wings,
Placed a new star on the tree, switched off everything,
Getting down on her knees, the splattered walls she washed,
Under tables and chairs, the dirty floor she mopped.

"Scrubbing floor" "Snow White working"
Image : http://disney-clipart.com/

She scrubbed the whole hall and kitchen till they sparkled,
And fluffed the cushions briskly, till the dust settled,
She took down the torn curtains and put up new ones,
Stockings she turned inside out so threads wouldn’t run,
Unwashed clothes, she dumped into the washing machine,
Trash bags were taken out and thrown into the bin,
She worked up some suds and soaped the plates and saucers,
Got rid of the stains that smeared the cups and glasses.

She scoured the pots last till they were gleaming bright,
She worked like poor Cinderella all through the night,
Took her some time before the house was spick and span,
Though her arms and knees were aching, she still felt grand,
With all in place she put back Xmas joy and worth,
Mums (she knew) who kept alive Jesus’ awesome birth,
Leaning by the window sill, she watched dawn draw near,
“What the heck,” she said, “Christmas comes but once a year.” 
"Merry Christmas" "Christmas Glitter" "Christmas Stockings" "Christmas Hearth"
Image : http://www.glitter-graphics.com/
 Nov 21 2007

Click here to visit VoicesNet.com to read the poem called "THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS" by Jacinta Ramayah, Malaysia

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