Thursday, April 30, 2009

NaPoWriMo #30

NaPoWriMo #30


Yes! the final poem! It has been quite a race, but strangely, I enjoyed the challenge.

And I want to end it with something heart-warming. ( I hope it is )




going home




In the train going home, my daughter fell asleep in my lap. Minutes earlier, she was colouring pictures in a book, her face determined, intense. I did not know that Mickey Mouse had a red face, but that's how a six year old girl pictured it. The crayon was still in her hand, and I gently removed it, packed it back in the box of colours and kept it in her bag with the book and bottles. Even in the cool air, her face was warm, and I wiped perspiration off it. Holding her, I settled down in the seat for the journey home.

And that was when I saw the lady in the opposite seat smiled at us.


30/04/09





© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

NaPoWriMo #29

NaPoWriMo #29


Finishing tape in sight. :)



gangster movie



The Taiwanese MPs sauntered
into the pool hall
looking for army deserters
their polished helmets
gleaming in the dim lights
their .45s
heavy artillery
unbuttoned in their holsters

the chatter dropped to a whisper
the clatter of ivory balls stopped
as they walked across the hall
steel eyes fixing on every face
every twitch of muscle
every curl
of cigarette smoke
and suddenly
i felt like an extra
in a gangster movie.

29/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

NaPoWriMo #28

NaPoWriMo #28


raking up old memories on the home stretch.



movie



six times, i said
six times you have seen
that same movie
and she smiled
and said
she loved the way
john travolta walks
the dance moves
the love in
the story
and i would sigh,
light our cigarettes
and debate about
saturday night fever
all over again.

years on,
on lonely subway rides
late at night
i would think about
her smile,
and how i miss her
all these years,
and i would
give anything
to watch the movie
a seventh time
with her
again.

28/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009

NaPoWriMo #27

NaPoWriMo #27


how many days more? had a tough time writing today's deadline, and it's not even a good one.



owl



like clockwork
the gastric pains
woke me up
again
and i don't even
look at the time
anymore
but i guessed 2:59 a.m.
is quite close.

i look
for that little packet
of white pills,
make my way to
the kitchen
for some self medication.
then i stand at the window
taliking to the night
convinced that
in my past life
i was an owl
or a shark.

27/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Sunday, April 26, 2009

NaPoWriMo #26

NaPoWriMo #26


Uphill, but still running.


sparrow


the schoolgirl
hopped onto the bus
like a sparrow,
chirpy, full of energy
her ponytail swinging.
she was maybe
all of six years old
she took the seat
in front of me
smiling
looking at the
blue morning sky
and then she said

it's a beautiful morning

and me
cynical, angry
two days worth of stubble
needed a six year old kid
to make me realised that.

26/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Saturday, April 25, 2009

NaPoWriMo #25

NaPoWriMo #25


It's a tough day at work today. Still..

I think I will edit this piece later on, after NaPoWriMo ends.



still


still missing her
after all these years
even though
the landscape
from the bus windows
passes by
in a tapestry
the same roads
have changed
trees grown taller
buildings demolised
new structures rise
from the ashes
or
the dark walls
of the subway tunnels
going by in a flash
a few feet from my face
and i have tired
      counting
the number of stations
that have grown
and still
some things
have not
changed


25/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Friday, April 24, 2009

NaPoWriMo #24

NaPoWriMo #24

something sad inspires this.


stray



pariah
even
by its own kind
it dies
and nobody knows
nobody cares
but now
it totters
on weak legs
its fur
once luxuriant
like a persian's
now
matted and filthy
it has
no strength
even to utter
a miow
as it licks
at a pool
of water
as magpies watch
from the branches
of trees


24.04.09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

NaPoWriMo #23

NaPoWriMo #23


it's getting tougher.

Still...




interrupted dream



at 3 a.m.
i woke up
to raindrops
scattering
into the room
chased by a
wolfhound wind
a sky
red with anger

and
an interrupted dream.

23/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

NaPoWriMo #22

NaPoWriMo #22


a ku will do?



wire



silent and rusty
it keeps out limbs
but not wings



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

NaPoWriMo #21

NaPoWriMo #21


Surprised at how quick this one was written. Of course the rain in the early morning helps.



after the rain



in the nascent light
of the dawn
the town lights
sparkled in a mirror
of still water
in a playground

after the night rains

the air crisp
as a spring breeze

the town wakes
lights blaze on
like squares on
a jigsaw
the sounds of
stirrings
alarm clocks
coughings
a dog barks


21/04/09





© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Monday, April 20, 2009

NaPoWriMo #20

NaPoWriMo #20


Two-thirds already?


clouds


the sun
takes a peek
out of a
blanket of
cumulonimbus,

grey
and
bruised,

it shivers
and goes
back
to sleep.


20/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Sunday, April 19, 2009

NaPoWriMo #19

NaPoWriMo #19


still uphill..



pigeons



a man feeds pigeons under the hot sun
the birds homing in from the eaves
and parapets of the apartment blocks
red feet waddling heads bobbing
beaks pecking at grains of corn and rice
on the concrete floor of the apron
while passers-by walk past with bags
of groceries from the supermarkets
perhaps making a mental note to
complain to the town council later
about a man feeding pigeons at
such and such a block around noon
as
a stray cat watches from the shade
of the corner of a pillar, head on paws
too lazy to move in the heat.

live and let live.

19/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Saturday, April 18, 2009

NaPoWriMo #18

NaPoWriMo #18


It's getting tiring..


cooking a poem


the fire's there
the ink is heated
but when i throw
in the words,
try to stir fry
them

trying to cook
a decent poem,
i wonder
have i chopped them
up properly
diced them verbs nicely
minced the nouns
selected the right metaphors

have i added them
in the right order
or missing some spice
of adjectives.

and when it's done
serve it on a page
and garnish with line breaks.


18/04/09


This piece seems quite incomplete, but it's the best i can do for today..

© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Friday, April 17, 2009

NaPoWriMo #17

NaPoWriMo #17



There was a prompt at Read Write Poem about "on the road". Different context here but i suppose it's alright.

Uphill at this stage. :)



roadkill


it was by the side of the road
was a crow or a mynah
hard to tell from
the bloodied feathers

and suddenly
chicken rice for lunch
doesn't seem
too appetizing


17/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Thursday, April 16, 2009

NaPoWriMo #16

NaPoWriMo #16


Managed to wring this out at the last minute. Definitely needs some editing when i have the time. :)


R&R


our faces
were green
from all the bad beer
but then maybe
it was
the apple
of neon tubes
glowing
on the wall
above our heads
like some alien
spacecraft
in this
smoky bar
and the girls,
tight tees
and short skirts
were trying
to push
more bad beer
and more
and i wonder why
my comrades and i
could not
have more
sedate
      cultural
           exchanges.



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

NaPoWriMo #15

NaPoWriMo #15


Halfway mark already? Feeling exhausted today.



meals


sometimes i call out to her,
that it's time for meals,
but she's not here anymore,
of course.


time heals ,
but not fully.


15/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

NaPoWriMo #14

NaPoWriMo #14


Old flame again. :)


janice


always
that dance
     it plays
       all over
like a jammed vinyl
always
that dance
     when i hear
       that song
in a store
the train the radio
always
     i see
just the two
of us
though there are others
on the dance floor
     my hands
on your slim waist
your warm body
close to me
a hint
of expensive
perfume

and me
trying very hard
not to step
on your shoes.

14/04/09


© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Monday, April 13, 2009

NaPoWriMo #13

NaPoWriMo #13


I came out with this piece while waiting for the bus to take me to work. It really was a very hot day.


heat


already
getting out of bed
in the morning
is a labour

now
i have to face
the wrath
of a full blown sun

hot
and humid
the air hang
still as death

even
the cactus
will wilt
in this heat

13/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Sunday, April 12, 2009

NaPoWriMo #12

NaPoWriMo #12


Coming back from dinner this evening sort of inspires this.. :)



coming back from the coffee shop



coming back from the coffee shop
i am all hot and sweaty
the shirt smells
like a wok
the hair
fried garlic.

in the elevator
my neighbour smiles at me.
her little black dress
impeccably pressed
a whiff
of chanel

12/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Saturday, April 11, 2009

NaPoWriMo #11

NaPoWriMo #11


A prompt at Read Write Poem for NaPoWriMo asks the writer to think of an old flame. Good prompt. :)



jenny



water nymph
     she is
    taut body
in tight swimsuit
   nubile
jet black hair
wet
dripping diamonds
out of
     the waves
like Botticcelli's Venus
her laughter
is the Sirens'song
her hands
outstretched
to me

and me
mesmerised
plunge to her
like a doomed
sailor
to rocks

11/04/09



© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Friday, April 10, 2009

NaPoWriMo #10

NaPoWriMo #10


image from readwritepoem.org



Read Write Poem has a prompt each day to guide you along NaPoWriMo 2009. How very kind of them. I just found out what a "found poem" is. :)

The Academy of American Poets has a good article on the "found poem".



found poem



in the pre-dawn

the highway
between Big Sur
and Monterey
empty
except for the fog.

to the left
below the cliffs
the Pacific
murmured threats
like an ancient adversary.

in the harsh beams
of headlights
the fog rolled
ectoplasmic shapes
across the road.

moisture hung from
great thick trees
like silver memories
of time before
the coming of man.

he went past closed bakeries,
jewelery shops
scuba gear emporia
through an empty town,
a fog, and fear

and then a light
right in front of him.
had he moved to it.
or
had it moved to him?


10/04/09

source: a short story "The Cheese Stands Alone" from "Stalking The Nightmare" by Harlan Ellison.


© cheong lee san (dsnake1 ), 2009

Thursday, April 9, 2009

NaPoWriMo #9

NaPoWriMo #9

I went over to one of my favourite web photo resource sites, found this photo on its home page and was inspired to write my 9th day poem.



photo by mimiliz
image from morguefile.com



old graffiti



it was just
rows of
faded pencil marks
on a yellowed page

scratched in a naive hand
brash but unsure
small steps
like a baby's

searching
for words
for that
great poem

even the strokes
were angry
the mood
probably too

but the elusive
creatures,the words
stayed hidden
buried

and that was why
that poem
never met
the light

of day


09/04/09



© cheong lee san (dsnake1 ), 2009

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

NaPoWriMo #8

NaPoWriMo #8

Short of ideas, plus a bad day in the office doesn't helps. But a feline inspires this...


afternoon rain


afternoon rain.
the cat wakes up
and sleeps again.

08/04/2009


© cheong lee san (dsnake1), 2009

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

NaPoWriMo #7

NaPoWriMo #7


Only a week? :(

forgettable


everything's in a hurry
grab and go, you know.

cellphones, sms
short short msgs

hw r u?
tq!

short attention
spans

so this post
bite size too

hit and
run

in a minute
you won't

remember anything
abt it.


07/04/09




© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

NaPoWriMo #6

NaPoWriMo #6


Finding the going tough...


football stars


school's out,
and the children
are like birds
uncaged
      flying

all over the playground
chasing a football

shirt tails flapping over shorts
wiping sweat on grimy sleeves
showing off their tricks
each believing
he is the next Ronaldo
while their mothers
and maids
holler
that it is time
for dinner.

06/04/09


© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009...

Sunday, April 5, 2009

NaPoWriMo #5

NaPoWriMo #5

still okay


before the rain


the grey clouds rolled away
the afternoon sun
like a squad car shooing off
the crowd at a crime scene

pulled do-not-cross tapes
across the sky
with flares of lightning

and the blackbirds
perched at the edges
of the roofs
of apartment blocks

hesitant
to fly

05/04/09


© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ), 2009

Saturday, April 4, 2009

NaPoWriMo #4

NaPoWriMo #4

Hanging on



untitled



a man called Newton sat under a tree
thinking of life's tough questions
and complex maths equations
when a fruit fell from the tree.
the apple's delicious, says he.


04/04/09


© cheong lee san (dsnake1), 2009

Friday, April 3, 2009

NaPoWriMo #3

NaPoWriMo #3


urghh, just managed to squeeze this out..


to school




7 a.m.
the schoolchildren
with bags
and haversacks

as heavy as
themselves
hurry as ants
on a sweet trail.

03/04/09



© cheong lee san (dsnake1), 2009

Thursday, April 2, 2009

NaPoWriMo #2

NaPoWriMo #2

still around. :)



offerings

guns.
you gave him a gun
whatever for?

banknotes and gold
and silver
would be better

is it so bad
down there
they need arms?



02/04/09


© cheong lee san (dsnake1), 2009

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

NaPoWriMo #1

NaPoWriMo #1

First time i am trying this out.

30 poems in 30 days. Urghhh..



evening bus home


in the bus
we look like
soldiers back
from battle

fatigued
indifferent
some guy massaging
his head

a cough here
a cellphone rings
amidst the drone
of travel

i try
not to be
distracted
by all these

i have only
15 stops
or so
before home.


01/04/2007



© cheong lee san (dsnake1 ), 2009