Glassy-eyed, we walk past these corridors,
Chasing numbers across our yawning days.
A hamster’s hunt through the glass doors
Of swanky corporate offices, scurrying past
Our portapotty cubicles, our diurnal homes,
Like defeated castle gnomes, downcast,
Eking out one final groan, one final chase.
What kind of life is this? Who made this so?
How did we submit to this existence?
We who are made in His image, we who know
Better - we who are mirrors reflecting His Magnificence?
#581 On The Game That Was Lost
What was the meaning
Of all that strife? We were bound
To lose from the start.
#577 On The Curse of Being Born into Luxury
It must be nice to
Be born into luxury
A sweet, lulling curse.
#575 On Rediscovering Chess
On sixty-four squares
Battles are won and lost; here,
I wage war anew.
#574 On Ephemera by Way of Whatsapp
All day, ev'ry day
I cast out crumbs on Whatsapp:
My ephemera.
#568 On The Final Step
One final step
And the earth collapses underneath your feet
The ground you thought was solid
Gives way to an avalanche of tears
That final step
Breaks through the reams of cruel soil
The gruel of your dreams
Flushed away into the gaping seam
Your final day
And life collapses into the darkest maw
The solid darkness of muted synapses
Your hopes now
Made forever raw.
#567 On The Saggy Bending of the Knees
A saggy bending of the knees
Prostrating to the will of Fate
Amidst the shimmer of these trees
My life’s regrets coagulate
I sink into the mud of Time
And beg His Mercy for my crimes.
(with apologies to T S Eliot)
#566 Tentang Pemergian (buat Abang Jamal)
Pemergianmu
Kami kenangi, dan tak
Mungkin terganti.
(demi mengenang arwah Abang Jamal)
#564 On Your Dark Clouds of Regret
Encrowned with dark clouds of regret
In far-off lands you seek refuge
A proud denial of life’s upsets
You hide in practiced subterfuge
But still the sadness’ yours to keep
Your life’s “J’Accuse” is what you reap.
#562 On the Poetry of Everyday Things
I want to write about
The poetry of everyday things:
The smell of coffee in the morning
The gentle breeze as I look out the balcony
The fragrance of the flowers on the window sill
The bark of the dogs down in the valley
The growl of the cars zooming past on the road
The uncles and aunties taking their morning walks
The security guard nodding sagely from a distance
The cats lounging by the side of the street
You holding my hand, flashing that smile that makes me fall in love with you all over again, everyday.