Memorial Tribute...

In our hearts he shall forever be the respected leader who transcended the hierarchy to inspire and educate those who served under his admirable command.

*In Memory of the Late COL Bernard Tan Cheow Han, ACGS(Pers)

What About...

We try to be friendly to nature,
And practice the 3-Rs.
But what about the constant litter,
That we’ve been throwing out the house?
We fall so deeply in love,
And plan carefully for the future.
But what about those lonely people,
Living without a spouse?
We complain that we are suffering,
And we have not enough money.
But what about the forests,
That became paper for our wages?
We say that our houses are small,
And there are not enough rooms.
But what about the homeless,
Who sleep beneath the bridges?
We are technologically savvy,
And our standard of living is good.
But what about other concerns,
That we ignored for progress?
We are well educated,
And have a high paying job.
But what about the skills we learned,
That cause others misery for our success?
We invest heavily in travel,
And spend on land properties.
But what about the outer space,
Where it’s greatly unexplored?
We tend to our every need,
And live a blissful life.
But what about the human race,
When our coffins are obscured?

*Inspired by What About Everything by Carbon Leaf

Nature From Above...

With the sky so wide,
And the land so vast,
When something happens,
It happens very fast.
Like one drop of substance,
From a winged vertebrate,
Takes less than a while,
To reach my unsuspecting head.
I was expecting another drop,
But it never came,
And when I felt something sticky,
I knew it wasn’t rain.
Looking at my fingers,
I saw some creamy paste.
It doesn’t look like a cake,
And thank goodness I didn’t taste.
I was quite stunned at first,
But soon the reality sunk in.
I really don’t know whether to frown,
Or to cheekily grin.
Nonetheless I went to the toilet,
While avoiding the puzzled crowd.
I don’t want to attract attention,
Especially those who are curious and loud.
I washed my hair thoroughly,
And celebrated with a sumptuous meal.
For twenty years nothing like this happened,
So it’s a sign that something might yield.

Separation...

Marriage takes two hands to clap,
But only one hand to slap.
Once it becomes a sad story,
There’s no point in saying sorry.
The parents will carry the blame,
But their children will bear their shame.
It’s something that can be prevented,
If only their parents are united.
Sadly it’s easier said than done,
When differences are unknowingly shunned,
Causing bombs of displeasure to grow,
Until a stage when they will blow.
What was a family will be a mess,
With the remaining living in distress.
All will hate the heartless who left,
Leaving them a void no matter what they have.
It’s very unfair to those who suffered,
But what’s done cannot be reversed.
So after you get married and/or have kids,
Think about others before you do something stupid.

Appointments...

When a venue is agreed upon,
And the time is set,
Please keep to your promises,
Without any regret.
Unless you are sick,
Or something happened at home,
You shouldn’t change the plan,
Based on your interest alone.
It is never okay,
Even though we say so,
For the itinerary has been planned,
And is destroyed when you don’t go.
It disappoints those,
Who make the effort to be there,
And shows that your character,
Is one who doesn’t care.
Repeat this a few times,
And soon you shall find,
That no one wants to go out with you,
So don’t say we’re not kind.
We are also not replacements,
To keep you company,
But if you insist on having one,
Get an escort with your money.
We do not provide service,
But we can be your friend,
Provided you treat us as one too,
And use some common sense.

Endless Fighting...

The universe is filled,
With trillions of stars,
And each could contain life,
Like what we are.
There are endless mysteries,
To what is out there in space.
But instead of exploring together,
We condemn each other in the face.
More weapons are bought,
And deadlier attacks are made,
With the excuse of seeking peace,
Which is achieved when all are dead.
The people are starving,
But the government doesn’t care.
They give the citizens guns,
And let them fight for their welfare.
Many are killed,
Forcing shops to close.
Thus the economy plunges,
Leaving nothing but ghosts.
The people are angered,
But they don’t know what to do,
So the country pointed her finger,
And they strike without a clue.
Retaliation is expected,
And missiles start to fly.
The people continue fighting,
And they never stop after they die.
Their sons and grandsons carry on,
Struggling for their freedom,
Which they had given up themselves,
But they refuse to listen.
A chicken and a duck,
Cannot understand each other.
One quack and one cluck,
And they don’t like other feathers.

Quote of the Day...

善有善报
恶有恶报
不是不报
时辰未到

Bicycle Chronicle...

With 15 other colleagues,
And a new found friend,
We began our journey,
From the east of this land.
We rode along the coast,
Through the road that never ends.
Even when we were against traffic,
Danger missed us at every bend.
All this while there was music,
Blasted from speakers with no brand.
It was the same set of speakers,
From the cycling trip back then.
They were still head-turners,
But not many people looked,
Because the speakers were cranky,
And the ground never shook.
We were quite wary,
Of some heads that spook,
For some might turn a circle,
Or disgusting enough to puke.
We were at Changi Village,
Where ladies were men.
We ate up all the Nasi Lemak,
Then off to Tampines we went.
Our minds were half asleep,
But our legs kept pedaling.
Along the path to Bedok Reservoir,
We forgot the word tiring.
However we could feel pain,
When we shift our butts.
The seats felt like durians,
And it hurts more with nuts.
We made our way back,
Once we had enjoyed the stars.
We travelled slightly faster,
As there were fewer cars.
Once we reached our starting point,
We collapsed onto the tables.
But the air-condition was cold,
So most started to tremble.
One by one they disappeared,
Leaving a few of us sleeping.
When we finally awakened,
We were so close to freezing.
The missing were having breakfast,
Out in the open air.
Once we were done thawing,
We joined them there.
Sadly the manager chased us,
When we slept after dawn.
But soon we returned our bicycles,
And in taxis we were gone.

Just Some of My Reasons for Some Things We Do...

We play so hard,
To satisfy our needs,
Such that we will feel more confident,
And ready to compete.
We study so much,
To keep ourselves informed,
Such that we can earn our worth,
And not easily be conned.
We sleep so frequently,
To replenish our energy,
Such that we can give our best,
And complete tasks efficiently.
We pray so often,
To ease our conscience,
Such that we will not feel singled out,
When others doubt our presence.
We care so incessantly,
To aid the human kind,
Such that we can contribute to society,
And leave a legacy behind.
We think so deep,
To anticipate the future,
Such that we can be prepared,
For the challenges we encounter.

Messaging People...

When I messaged people,
And they never reply,
I’ll always ponder,
The reasons why.
Could it be the network,
Which is congested at times?
Or could it be myself,
Who write nonsense sometimes?
Was it my phone or computer,
That reads sent but didn’t send?
Or was it what I had said,
That hurts but wasn’t what I meant?
Maybe they were too engrossed,
With the things they were doing?
Or maybe I am not a close friend,
So they don’t bother communicating?
In any case I’ll let things be,
And keep my hopes high for humanity.
I know messaging is not talking,
But I really hope that they reply me.