Empathy...

There may be moments in your life,
When you pause to think,
But can't seem to pin that missing piece -
That elusive missing link.
Why do things end up this way?
Why do I have to go through this?
Why do I even bother to help,
When nobody knows that I even exist?
Recognition is essential,
When rewards are intangible.
Humans need the personal touch,
Or they will always grumble.
Is it too much to ask for?
Is it too difficult to give?
Is it because the ego is too inflated,
For words of gratitude to leave?
But leaders are not trained,
To provide such motivation.
Everyone assumes that they know the ways,
Which stagnates the situation.
Can the leaders go for courses?
Can someone tell them what to do?
Can anyone do anything,
Without getting themselves screwed?
Also when wrong decisions are made,
And there is a mess all around,
Who should be the one clearing it?
And who should watch and frown?
Education is not just some papers,
Nor is it just following rules.
If we cannot even empathise with people,
Then what are we learning in schools?

Pause & Reflect...

GST goes up,
Your savings go down.
You protest all day,
And make a lot of sound.
The smart are getting smarter,
And the rich are getting richer.
If you find that you are lagging behind,
You better pull your socks higher.
Stop complaining so much,
And start mugging away.
If you don’t upgrade yourself,
You’ll only get a smaller pay.
It’s not so easy you say,
Opportunities don’t come my way.
But this is life my friend,
You are either lucky or you are suay.
Some can earn a million,
Just by shading six numbers.
Others slog for decades,
But end up with bankruptcy letters.
You can’t bring money to the grave,
But your loved ones can burn you some.
If you had been bad to those around you,
Your afterlife if any will be spent eating crumbs.
Don’t say nobody ever warned you,
And don’t say you’ve wasted your life.
As long as you’re able to live happily,
Be glad that you’re alive.
If you are not happy,
Do something constructive.
If folding cranes doesn’t help,
At least think positive.

Haze Maze...

Dear Ms. Haze,
You are so kind.
Nobody suspects me now,
When I release gas from behind.
Drivers drive slower too,
Making the roads much safer.
Now even snails can cross the road,
Without facing any danger.
More people are losing their way,
And end up in weird places.
Remember the man on the tracks?
He might just be tying shoe laces.
We can’t really see very clearly,
But I suppose you meant well.
Our nation has been working too hard,
So it’s good time to escape from hell.
We can get MCs daily,
And skip all the dreaded exercise.
In return you make us perspire more,
So it’s a blessing in disguise.
The mystified outdoors;
What a genius you are.
Al fresco dining was never so romantic,
With all the smoke but no cigar.
Lovers’ hearts pump much faster,
And both their breaths are taken away.
They cry when they look at each other,
Oh my you really like to play.
You should have come sooner,
For our population is dwindling.
The longer you stay around,
The stronger lovers feel that feeling.
But sadly some nonsense parents,
Create another stupid problem.
They don’t want to look after the child,
And push the blame when he turns rotten.
So could you kindly cloud their brains,
And perhaps short-circuit their minds?
Otherwise please choke them impotent;
We’d rather have one less misaligned.
After you leave us there’ll be more rice,
And you can see we find you really nice.
We even created a fund under your name,
So the next time you arrive please bring more advice.

Adulthood...

Another of this day has come to pass,
And to mark that change my age will plus.
A new phase of my life is about to start;
Allow me first to reminisce my past.
I was born in a family where money is not plenty,
Except for care and concern that flows very freely.
With two older siblings and hainanese parents to live by,
My childhood days were lived in perfect harmony.
But in school I was a child with no mind of his own,
Following instructions like a stone being thrown.
I often do things without asking myself why,
And I always end up wondering where time has flown.
Moving to secondary my life is quite the same,
Following people and be a pawn in others’ game.
At least I socialised and enjoyed my time,
A bit late but managed to claim some fame.
Advancing to junior college my life became better,
For my interests are pursued with purpose and vigour.
I began to appreciate everyone that matters,
And try to be their shelter when it pitter patters.
Army was the place that I felt truly at home,
Where my efforts are acknowledged and my talents honed.
I found more friends who think beyond the box,
And thus stretched my limits to levels I had never known.
Now in university I will do my best,
And do what I can to benefit the rest.
No man is an island and neither a woman too;
Gaining a meaningful experience will be my quest.
I thank everyone for their well-wishes and simple gifts,
As they have made me smile higher than the tallest cliff.
My wish for all of you will be just an inspiring quote –
You will when you believe.

Pre-Birthday Lunch...

At a Pizza Hut branch,
For a simple lunch,
I celebrated my birthday,
With a familiar bunch.
Their presence was suffice,
But they still sprung a surprise,
By presenting me a gift,
That was really very nice.
I know that it is hard to find,
A gift that suits my kind,
Because I don’t have much preference,
As simple is what comes to my mind.
Thanks again for spicing up my life,
To all my friends who fuel my drive.
The greatest gift to me,
Is that you’re all still alive.

Purchasing a Laptop...

Some people are friendly,
Some of them are nice,
But others are out to make you angry,
By giving useless advice.
“Cash & carry only”, the offer state,
To get a cheap Bluetooth and memory upgrade.
But without money I will have to wait;
I hope tomorrow will not be too late.
Early next day I made my way down,
Only to be stopped by a security clown.
She denied me entry with a stern frown,
Enforcing her authority which was the lowest around.
I requested then to speak to the in-charge,
To explain my predicament and hope for the best.
Locating him took some time as the hall is large,
And as I waited she had to make me distressed.
She reiterated that I cannot enter the area;
Not even a step even if it is just one corner.
What she added nearly caused me hysteria,
That is I can only pay by asking the cashier over.
The counter was like a good 20 metres away,
And why would they shift their equipment just for me to pay?
I just needed a while inside and would be on my way,
But maybe she found it exciting to keep me at bay.
Soon the in-charge arrived and ruled in my favour,
And I rushed in thanking everyone except her.
I could almost sense the bitter flavour,
But I chose to ignore it for enemies I do not prefer.

Divergence...

Each of our friends has their own life to lead and their own dream to live,
So moving forward together will no doubt be tough.
Thus there are days when we arrive at crossroads with grief,
And each of our friends decides to go on a separate path.
Everyone will be hesitant and reluctant to leave,
But the world keeps spinning and time will not freeze.
Time waits for no man so neither should we,
For procrastination is the chance killer to some degree.
We must gather our courage and do what we must,
To achieve our aims while our bodies still last.
With only a life and no reset button in sight,
Never regret your chosen paths and you will be alright.
True friends will render help no matter where you are,
So there is no need to worry about distance being far.
Wipe your tears away and stomach your emotions;
When the time is ripe we will meet at intersections.

Bird Bird...

A young girl ran to the market,
With five coins in her hand.
She wanted to free five birds,
To bless her brother who is leaving this land.
However five coins is only enough,
For one bird at the stall.
The girl bought a bird nonetheless,
Because she’s too afraid to brawl.
Along came a foreigner,
Who saw the look on her face.
It broke his heart somewhat,
So he took out his card with haste.
He bought ten thousand birds,
And watched the girl walk to the cliff.
He released them before the girl could,
And immediately she started to sniff.
She cried her lungs out,
That her brother is going to die.
Because the heaven won’t hear her now,
As other birds flooded the sky.
The foreigner was shocked,
By the damage he had done.
But before he could say anything,
The bombing run had begun.
Excretion spattered all around,
On every car, house, adult and child.
The unity of ten thousand birds combined,
Can indeed be foul and wild.
Sometimes what we do might be nice,
But the result could be a surprise.
So it’s best to review and research,
To prevent paying a hefty price.

*Inspired by the Visa credit card commercial featuring Richard Gere and the Indian girl

Power Failure...

I never thought things would be like this,
That I have to use a pen to draft this piece.
The power is gone and who knows when,
Everything will be restored to before the power end.
My computer is off and so on paper I’m writing,
And the lights are out so it’s natural light I’m seeing.
My house phone is dead because it’s a mobile,
And so is my heart because it’s fragile.
How many times do I have to go through this trauma,
Of not treasuring the essentials until it’s gone forever?
How many times do I have to suffer,
Knowing that what I hold dear is held by someone sooner?
I detest this, but I’m still a failure,
So I will have to try harder,
But for now I’ll let my mind take over,
And let my heart take a breather.

Talent, Where Art Thou?

Some can paint a picture,
No matter how they write,
Some can close their eyes,
And win a boxing fight.
Everyone has some talent,
Be it known or unknown.
The opportunity has to arise,
Then talent can be honed.
The chance can come early,
Or it might come late.
Anything is better than never,
But to me it is up to fate.
To others it is up to God,
Or it is up to Karma.
I just hope it is not determined,
By your papa or mama.
We have to take charge of,
What we call our lives.
If we do not we will lose out,
And miss the chance when it arrives.
We cannot choose our parents,
Nor can we pick our birthplace.
Each of our unique experience,
Will never be erased.
That makes us so special,
As shown by the way we talk.
How we think is different too,
As well as the way we walk.
If all these are destined,
Then we only have a say,
On the course of our education,
And how we live our day.
If no chances come your way,
And your talent is unknown still,
Maybe yours is better hidden;
Who knows if it is to kill?