A Jco Day

A girl abandoned me today

In a very strange way

She snuck around the desks

While I was marking my tests

How could I have known?

She said she was shy

So she didn’t stop by

She saw I was busy

But it would have been easy

To call me on the phone

She walked up and down

Making many a round

Why not a quick hello

Were her guts Jell-O?

Was she that meek?

She was kind enough

To buy some stuff

Donuts for dear old me

But in a fit of mystery

She ate it all real quick!

Now I sit and imagine

About what might have been

Coffee and donuts

Between two office nuts

It would have been grand!

The lesson of the day?

Don’t stay away

Better to take a chance

Than run from the dance

Stick to the plan!

By DH (14/7/08)

This is a funny story of how an office colleague bought some doughnuts for me, but couldn't get my attention as I was busy marking my hw. So she didnt meet me and ate all the food.

The Farewell Party

Characters:

1) Daniel (teacher)           2) Bayne (police)             3) Jess                      4) Yumi              5) Sue

6) Seungbin                     7) Zhang                          8) Sophia                  9) Emma          10) Cloud

11) Abbas                     12) Mitra                         13) Saman                14) Ali               15) Yahya

16) Yahya Z                 17) Windy

            Everyone was happy. It had been a long month, but finally the exam was over. Zhang, a student in PI2, thought it was time to celebrate by having a small class party. He told the others his idea and they agreed. The fifteen students worked hard to get decorations and food prepared, and invited their teacher, Daniel, to the event. Everyone decided to have the party in the classroom.

The students came from different countries, but for the party, they decided to have food from Korea, China and the Middle East. The students made groups to get the food ready.  Jess, Yumi, Sue and SeungBin took care of the Korean food. Zhang, Sophia, Emma and Cloud made Chinese food. Abbas, Mitra, Saman and Ali cooked some Iranian food. The two Yahyas brought some snacks from their countries. Windy was alone and so she made the drinks for everyone. Daniel brought some Malaysian cakes for his students to try.

            The teacher’s table in the classroom was filled with food and drinks. It was so lovely and mouth-watering. All the students were proud of their own food and eager to taste the other food. Daniel was invited to eat first and had to sample food from each country. Yumi gave Daniel some Korean food, Emma handed him Chinese food, Saman passed him Iranian food and both Yahyas fed him snacks from their countries. It was funny seeing Daniel eat all that food, so Zhang asked him to get a drink before he choked to death. Windy then gave Daniel the drink she had prepared. It was all absolutely delicious. Some people had CDs and so they used the radio to add some music to the party.

            Everything went on well till the end, and the students helped to clean the room and clear the rubbish. After this was done, all of them came out of the classroom and waited for Daniel to lock the door. Then something shocking happened. Daniel suddenly fainted. Some girls screamed. Abbas was the oldest and so he was the first to respond. He rushed to Daniel’s side and checked him. He then asked Ali to run to IH for help. The other students all stood there, too surprised to do anything else. Ali came back quickly with Mr. Jeremy. Sadly, they found that Daniel had died. Jeremy had no choice but to call the police in.

            Detective Bayne came and investigated the case. This went on for the whole day. She found out Daniel had been poisoned, and that there was poison in Daniel’s cup. Windy was asked to explain. She was upset and cried, saying it wasn’t her. She told Bayne the cup had the poison, not the drink. She also said Jess had helped her out in making the drinks and pouring them into the cups, so maybe Jess was the murderer. Jess had told Windy before that he disliked Daniel for always making jokes about him in class. Bayne then asked Jess about this.

            Jess denied it was him. He said most of the time he was helping the other Koreans. He only helped Windy because she was alone and she was his friend. He told Bayne that Windy was also upset with Daniel, because Daniel had tried to separate Windy from him in class. Windy always wanted to sit with Jess but Daniel would always make sure she didn’t. Next, the policewoman saw SeungBin.

            Seungbin said Jess had been with the Koreans most of the time to make the food, but later Jess had gone to see Windy about the drinks. Seungbin was also alone for a while because Sue and Yumi had gone somewhere during the cooking. He felt Yumi was unhappy with Daniel. She had had some problems and couldn’t attend class sometimes, but Daniel had not cared and scolded her many times in class. As for Sue, Seungbin said she was upset with Daniel because he had not helped her much in talking to IH about her problems.

            Sue and Yumi talked to the detective next. Yumi said she had been upset with Daniel, but she had not killed him. Sue said she had stopped cooking because she saw that there hadn’t been enough cups. Windy hadn’t brought many with her.  So she had taken Yumi with her to get some cups. Sue said Seungbin had been left alone to cook because he was the best among the Koreans. He knew a lot about cooking and herbs. His father, being a doctor, had taught him about herbs, drugs and medicine.

            The detective then decided to talk to the Chinese students. First was Sophia. She was distraught about the situation. It was her first time in another country so she had not adjusted yet. Bayne calmed her down and asked her if she could remember anything important about the party. She told her that Emma had argued with Daniel just before the party. Daniel had refused to accept her MC letter from the doctor, saying Emma should come to class if she was only a little sick. Emma talked to the detective and said it had only been a small argument. She didn’t hate Daniel, but maybe Cloud was the one who had killed him. He had felt that Daniel had been unkind to him, and had told Emma he wanted revenge.

            Cloud told Bayne he had only been joking about the threat. He really had not expected Daniel to be poisoned. He said Bayne should talk to Sophia again as she was hiding something. He had seen her phone once, and she had also been arguing with Daniel through smses. Cloud said his friend, Zhang, had also disliked Daniel because Daniel had told everyone in class that Zhang was a bad student. Bayne promised to talk to Sophia later and then saw Zhang, the last Chinese student. Zhang denied that he had killed Daniel. He thought it might have been someone from the Middle East.

            Bayne talked to Abbas first. She thanked Abbas for trying to help Daniel so quickly, but told him some students had mentioned that Daniel had owed him money and had not paid him back yet. Abbas said it had been true, but money was not a problem. He had been happy to help Daniel out with his money. Saman was next to see Bayne. He was afraid the police would accuse him of the murder, as he had given Daniel the Iranian food to try. Bayne told him it was the cup that had poison. Saman relaxed a little and looked relieved. Bayne thought it was weird he was happy when his teacher had just been killed.

            Mitra came to see the policewoman after Saman. She was a quiet girl and was also a new student in class. Bayne felt she had some secrets behind her quiet personality. Mitra said she was sad about the death. Daniel had not paid much attention to her in class, but she had not felt angry about it. She told Bayne Ali had been upset with Daniel but she didn’t know why. Bayne asked Ali this. He admitted he had been upset with Daniel, because Daniel had ridiculed him when he found out Ali had lost money recently. He told Bayne that he still had run to IH to get Jeremy when Daniel had fainted, so it showed he wasn’t a bad person. Bayne took notes and then met Yahya Z.

            She asked him about two things. He had told everyone he loved hunting and that he had wanted to be the criminal if Daniel made a story in class. Yahya explained that hunting was only a hobby. As for being a criminal, it had only been a joke in class, nothing more. He asked her to talk to the other Yahya, as he had sat the closest to Daniel in the party, so maybe he had put the poison in the cup.

            Yahya was shocked to hear the accusation from Yahya Z. He told Bayne he had sat nearest to Daniel because he had wanted to talk more with his teacher. He would never do anything bad. Bayne told him she would look at the situation fairly.

            After thinking for a while, Bayne decided she had found the killer. It was the student that was most suspicious and also crafty. She prepared herself to see the person again, to talk as well as capture the criminal.

THE END

Love Complications

Love is absurdly complicated

It’s such a simple word

But it’s deep as the ocean

Fickle as the wind

It’s so hard to love someone

When my basic nature

Is to love myself most

It’s a big struggle

Putting others first

Caring for their needs

Important or otherwise

Is a mammoth task

The world teaches me

To protect my heart

Carry a mirror in my pocket

Look out for my own interests

Love has so many contradictions

If you take it forcefully, it runs away

If you let nature and the heavens work

Love will come seeking you out

It’s so costly

But can only be gotten for free

Most often to receive love

One must give it first

If I want someone to care for me

I must show my care

The moment my intention is selfish

Love will become impure

Love can take me to the stars

Then into the deepest abyss

In just a day

By just a few hurtful words

Love is available to any common man

Yet eludes the best of us

Anyone can search for it

Yet no one can truly understand it

I can fall in love in an instant

But it takes years

Before it matures and blooms

Reaches equilibrium

Love is free

Yet it demands my all

The more I want of it

The more I must sacrifice

Love is a rubric’s cube

Interesting and colourful

Yet hell to complete

If you don’t know the steps

I will die without love

Yet love can kill too

It’s a dangerous balance

I have to maintain

Love can be expressed

In a million ways

But sometimes the best ones

Are the smallest actions

I want love to last forever

But I must work it daily

Marriage, after all

Is only the beginning

Love…

Isn’t only about giving or getting

Or doing and changing

It’s about being

To master love

I have to be its student

Reflecting daily

Bettering myself

Vous aimer (DH 22/5/07)

Like broken pieces of glass

We are sharp and capable of hurt

But le feu and heat

Can join us together

We are two snakes

Biting each other’s tail

Creating a bond

A cercle of sorts

Je t'aime

I know I truly do

I may not be parfait

But I believe in my words

You don’t need to do anything

You don’t need to be quelqu'un d'autre

Soyez vous-même

That is what I desire

Leave the plans and travel

The cadeaux and surprises to me

That’s what I can do

What I love doing

You give back to me

In your own ways

Through your own means

I appréciez it a lot

We may be nuit and jour

Le soleil and Lune

But we can fit nicely

Through commitment

I can’t see the future

I don’t hold the cards

But I would like

Tenez vos mains

Mouche or fall

Ups and downs

Life is a beau ride

With you here.

Laungan Cinta

Kesunyian…

Hanya sepatah perkataan tetapi melambangkan neraka keperitan

Mengheret emosi dan jiwa ke lembah kegelapan

Kesunyian berupaya membunuh tanpa dikesan

Menggenggam hati and memicit kebahagiaan setitik demi setitik

Inilah bisikan suara yang ku dengari di dalam mindaku

Meresapi and meracuni seluruh tubuhku

Kesunyian yang menyelubungi badanku bagai mencekik nafas hidupku

Hatiku pilu

Akibat kesakitan bagai ditembusi beribu jarum pedih

Kesakitan yang berpunca daripada hati yang dirobek

Semua ini kerana laungan cintaku

Jeritan untuk mengalami cinta suci seorang teman

Telah melahirkan keinginan membara di lubuk hatiku

Tapi…

Bagai jin nakal dalam lampu ajaib yang enggan mematuhi seruan tuannya

Cinta masih bersikap malu dengan tidak mendampingi aku

Aku meneriak untuk direstui dengan cinta sejati

Tetapi pemanggilanku ibarat pekikan di dalam sebuah gua

Suaraku hanya dipantulkan balik, dengan nade sedu

Seolah-olah dinding gua menjawabku dengan tujuan mengusik dan mengejek ku

Di manakah teman sejiwaku?

Adakah kamu berterbangan jauh dari permandanganku?

Bagai bidadari yang memijak awan ke alam kayangan

Dan meninggalkanku di belakang untuk bermimpikan syurga

Bagai lelayang yang dahagakan pengembaraan

Kamu membiarkanku dengan lilitan tali yang terputus sahaja

Sekarang apa yang dimilikiku hanyalah memori masa silam

Bagai serigala merindui bulan dan menyerunya

Itulah keinginanku untuk cinta abadi bersamamu

Tanpamu, duniaku lapang dan ditenggelami kegelapan

Setiap saat adalah seperti mengalami mimpi ngeri semasa aku terjaga

Seperti tiram tanpa mutiara yang berharga

Itulah kehidupanku tanpamu

Setiap detik masa aku mengharapkan

Bayanganmu merentasi sempadan pintuku

Sebagai tanda cinta akhirnya kembali ke pangkuanku

Tetapi hanya bayangku sendiri yang sudi menemaniku

Ribuan bintang di atas pentas malam yang dapat bergaul sesame sendiri

Tidak dapat mengerti kesepian yang kini memeluk diriku

Aku merenungi rembulan yang berpaut pada langit

Dan menunggu untuk tahi bintang memintas penglihatanku

Agarku dapat memohon hajat untuk bertemu dengan kamu

Adalah ironis jikalau kamu juga memerhati bulan pada saat yang sama

Tahi bintang tidak dapat dipujuk keluar untuk tayanganku

Wajahku dibasahi air mata yang membawa kesedihan

Tangisanku mengalir bagai sungai cinta yang pilu

Menuju dari mataku ke pipiku dan akhirnya menitis ke atas lantai

Setiap titisan adalah bukti yang aku perlukan kamu

Keletihanku dan kemabukan kesedihan menyebabkan aku tertidur

Aku bermimpi berjalan di atas pasir di tepi pantai

Aku menoleh ke belakang dan mendapati dua pasang tapak kaki

Selain yang dibuat aku, ada sepasang di sebelahnya

Sebelum sempat aku melihat lagi, aku terjaga dari tidur

Dengan hati berdebar-debar aku menunggu

Masa seolah-olah berlalu dengan amat perlahan sekali

Alangkah bagusnya jikalau mimpi boleh menjelma ke realiti

Bertuahnya jikalau takdirku dapat berubah baik

Tetapi…

Aku masih menunggu akan kepulangan cinta

Untuk hari mentari tidak akan lagi terbenam di ufuk Barat hatiku

Untuk hari yang tiada kegelapan dan kemuraman yang membencikan

Betapa sunyinya hidupku boleh menjadi…

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I found this poem that I had written way back in my Uni days...it's the only poem I ever did in Bahasa Malaysia...and it was printed in my Uni year book. Some people have commented that it's not 'natural' as I thought of it in English and did the translating in my mind. Some of the words and phrases are not natural in Bahasa. Oh well..

Here I have included a rough English translation for those who may not understand Bahasa:

The cry of love

Loneliness…

Just a word but symbolizes bitter hell

Drags the emotion and soul into the valley of darkness

Loneliness can kill without detection

Gripping the heart and squeezing happiness drop by drop

These are the whispers I hear in my mind

Enveloping and poisoning my whole body

Loneliness covers me and strangles the breath of my life

My heart despairs

From the pain of a 1000 needles of sadness

Pain from a heart that is torn

All because of the cry of love

The scream to experience the pure love of a mate

Gives birth to the burning desire in the depths of my heart

But…

Like a naughty genie in a lamp that refuses the call of its master

Love is shy and won’t grace my side

I cry to be blessed with true love

My shouts are like echoes in a cave

My voice bounces back with a sad tone

As if the walls answer only to mock and disturb me

Where is my soul mate?

Are you flying far out of my sight?

Like an angel on a cloud to heaven

You leave me behind dreaming of paradise

Like a kite thirsty for adventure

You leave me with the cut strings

What I have now is the memories of the past

Like a wolf who misses the moon and calls out to it

That’s my desire for eternal love with you

Without out, my world is bare and drenched in darkness

Each second like a waking nightmare

Like an oyster without a priceless pearl

That’s life without you

With each tick of the clock I hope

Your shadow will darken my doorstep

A sign love has finally return to my lap

But only my shadow is willing to accompany me

Thousands of stars in the night stage mix together

And they don’t understand the loneliness hugging me

I stare at the moon clinging to the sky

Waiting for a shooting star to cross my sight

So I can wish to meet you again

It would be ironic if you were staring at the moon at the same instant

The shooting star couldn’t be persuaded out for my viewing

My face is wet by the tears that bring sadness

It flows like a depressing river of love

From my eyes to my cheeks to drip onto the floor

Each tear proof that I need you

Tiredness and drunken sadness puts me to sleep

I dream of walking on the sand on a beach

I glance back to see 2 sets of footprints

Besides mine, there is another pair

Before I can see more, I awake

With a beating heart I await

Time moves ever so slowly

How good if my dream can become reality

How lucky if my fate can change for good

But…

I’m still waiting for love to return

For the day the sun won’t set in the land of my heart

For the day without darkness and despised sadness

How lonely my life can be…