The year is drawing to a close,
It is coming to an end.
Time moves on, and on it flows,
New year is 'round the bend.
I bid farewell to dear old year,
And reach for new year's hand,
To bring much happiness and cheer
For you my dear old friend.
Happy New Year!
Reaching for new year's hand
By Harold Huang
31Dec2021 22:45 hrs GMT+8
#poetrybyharold #poetry #heartfelt #journeyinlife
Fri 2021.10.22
(A poem about political frogs in the coming Malacca State by-elections)
Kata itu kota
Katak mau ikut kita
PRK Kota Melaka
Katak main suka-suka
Kata itu kota
Katak tak pegang kata
PRK negeri Melaka
Katak berlawak jenaka
By Harold Huang,
Friday 2021.10.22 17:07 hrs GMT+8
#poetry
#poetrybyharold
#journeyinlife
Thu 2021.0812
I'd like to tell you a story of my thirteen months long journey of weight reduction, from July 2020 to August 2021.
Once upon a time . . .
30Jul2020 : 87.7 kg
At the end of July last year, I was weighing in at almost 88 kg. With my
height at 1.69 m, this worked out to a BMI of 30.8 which made me borderline
obese.
Around that time, I suffered from a bout of gastro easophageal reflux disorder (GERD), along with shortness of breath and heart palpitation. The internal medicine specialist whom i consulted referred me to a cardiologist who carried out some scans and tests and diagnosed mild coronary artery disease. In subsequent follow ups the specialist remarked that my weight was still very high.
I was already taking regular 5 km morning walks then, but my weight wasn't going down fast enough.
17Sep2020 : 85.5 kg <--- 20 km daily cycling
By mid September, after losing about 2 kg, I resumed my old hobby of long
distance cycling, a hobby that I had neglected for more than a year.
However, I did not pay much attention to my food intake and I continued to overeat all the time.
01May2021 : 83.3 kg
Another eight months passed, with regular 5 km morning walks and frequent 10 -
20 km cycling, but my weight dropped by only about 2 kg and I was still badly
overweight at 83 kg.
19May2021 <---- 8 km/day walks begin
Sometime later that month, I decided to increase my morning walks to 8 km a
day. That seemed to help because I managed to bring my weight down by almost 2
kg in two weeks.
The month of May was the turning point in my battle against obesity.
04Jun2021 : 81.5 kg <--- Light meals begin
By early june, my weight had gone down to 81.5 kg. I had lost a total of 6.2
kg in the eleven months from end July 2020 to early June 2021.
However I was still overweight by about ten kg and it was time I paid some attention to my food intake. So starting that day, I decided to have only three light meals a day: breakfast at 6 am, lunch at 12 noon, and dinner at 6 pm, taking less than half of my usual servings.
No tea, no snacks, no supper: I had to slowly get used to feeling hungry all day long.
Initially it was difficult. Time passed slowly. I had to sleep it off by taking long afternoon naps. After a week or two, I got used to the hunger pangs and it didn't bother me much anymore.
10Jun2021 : 78.8 kg <--- crossed 80 kg
It took only about a week of light meals coupled with daily 8 km walks for my
weight to reduce by another 2.7 kg.
For the first time in many months, my weight had crossed the 80 kg mark, going down to 79 kg.
17Jun2021 <---- 10 km/day begins
The following week, I decided to increase my daily walking distance by another
2 km to 10 km a day (about two hours walk at 5 km/h).
18Jul2021 : 73.6 kg <--- crossed 75 kg
After about a month of longer distance walks, my weight was down to 73.6 kg, crossing below the 75 kg mark.
24Jul2021 : 72.6 kg <-- crossed 73 kg
The extended 10 km morning walk (sometimes combined with a 1 km jog) helped me lose another kg in the following week.
In the ensuing couple of weeks, however, my weight loss slowed down a little.
There were times I'd lose half a kg over a few days only to gain it all back again in one day. Most of the time such setbacks occurred because I ate more than I should. Food intake seemed to have a stronger effect on body weight than exercise.
Nevertheless, I pressed on towards the finishing line. It didn't take long for me to reach my target BMI < 25.0.
12Aug2021 : 70.65 kg <--- crossed 71 kg
Yay! After many months of being overweight, at last today 12Aug21, I have
returned to normal weight at 70.65 kg, with a BMI = 24.7.
I have completed my journey. I have reached the finishing line.
Summary of total distance walked:
I have walked more than 900 km in the three and a half months from early May to mid August 2021.
From 87.7 kg on 30Jul2020 last year, my weight decreased to 81.5 kg on 04Jun2021, and finally to 70.65 kg today 12Aug2021. All in all, I have lost about 17 kg in thirteen months.
After today, I will settle down to a "new normal" of moderately light breakfast 6 a.m., lunch 12 noon, dinner 6 p.m., with some light tea / fruits but no supper. It is imperative for me to maintain my weight within the 70 kg to 71 kg band.
For the near future, I will pay attention to the following self-defined alert levels for my body weight:
It is also necessary for me to add some strength training and muscle building exercises to my daily routine. I have just recently embarked on the following exercises in addition to my daily 10 km walk and jog:
Indoor training, especially when it's raining, 3 sets of the following routine:
Yesterday we all were free to wander
Went downtown, had joyrides in our cars
Suddenly, came movement control orders
They made our spirits drop like falling stars
And the people, they're all locked down
While the daily numbers aren't coming down
We're captive in this lockdown all the time
We can't go out, we can only look,
As numbers stay the same
And go round and round and round
. . . in this endless game
(Sung to the tune of The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell)
By Harold Huang
Tue 2021.07.06, 21:21 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold #KerajaanGagal
A song about the pretentious smiles of lying politicians who announce endless extensions of lockdowns:
Smile, a disappointing smile
Your smile can bring bad news to me
Don't let my TV find you on,
'Cause that would bring a tear to me
This land has lost its glory
We need a brand new story
Now my love,
Right now
Just as in other times,
Your smile can't show me how, my love
Talk in ever twisting words
And complicate them all for me
And I don't need such words in life
Don't ever try to call to me
We know that you don't even mean
A single word you say
It's only words, and lying words you have
Please take them all away . . .
(Sung to the tune of "Words", Bee Gees)
By Harold Huang
Sun 2021.06.27 21:41 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold #KerajaanGagal
You write what you read. And I grew up reading English books by Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, and JRR Tolkien. Then I found David Eddings, David Gemmell, and Raymond E. Feist. After that came Robin Hobb, and most recently, Brandon Sanderson. (This is obscuring a lot of other writers that I read and love, but hey I’m trying to make a point, I think.)
When you look at the history of traditionally-published English SFF (science fiction and fantasy), it’s predominantly white, and very, very Eurocentric—in fact, one of most popular settings is medieval England/Europe. They centre around knights and swords defending good, white kingdoms against the exotic oriental or barbaric, dark-skinned other. So when I started writing, that’s what bled through, at least, in those that I specifically crafted a setting for. Many times, I just never really described what they looked like or where they were, using the kind of ambiguous names and descriptions that can be found in metropolitan, urban-ish centres worldwide.
In my original envisioning of the Terang Sultanate, Maha followed stereotypical Eurocentric medieval fantasy settings and conventions, Impian had Southeast Asian influences, and Suci represented their confluence. But the more I worked on Amok, the more I found myself moving away from that, creating instead a united Terang—with all three city-states of Maha, Suci, and Impian based on the Malaccan sultanate. And then I took a step away from portraying the enemy kingdom of Bayangan as the quasi-White-other, giving Terang and Bayangan similar cultural roots.
One reason was to simply reflect the politics of the original story—Samson and Delilah took place in an era of war between Israel and the Philistines, where the enmity between them was, at face value, due to differences of beliefs and religious practices. Having both Terang and Bayangan come from the same roots focused the conflict on the faith aspects of the novel instead of issues of race and ethnicity.
Another was the conversations that I was listening to in the wider SFF Anglosphere—as well as the YA spheres—while I was doing my MA in Creative Writing in London. People were hungry for diversity. They wanted other cultures—their cultures—reflected in their SFF novels. They were tired of the “pale, male, and stale”. And so was I.
But one other driving factor was the fact that living away from home, where I was normal, was making me question my identity. Weird isn’t it, how leaving your roots sometimes drives you back to it? In London, especially on campus, I found the need to clarify—both to the British and to the Chinese—that no, I’m not actually Chinese (though technically I am, ethnically), I’m Malaysian. It felt like an important distinction. It came with explanations, sometimes almost a form of apology. No, I don’t speak Mandarin—I failed a whole year of classes and never went back again. Uh, actually, English is my first language because that’s what I grew up speaking at home. I do/eat this thing and I always thought it’s Chinese but you mean it’s not? Welp, I guess it’s Malaysian.
When one speaks of “own voices”, it’s usually a very simple “minority ethnicity/identity” in white-majority country. As a Chinese diaspora in a non-White culture (writing in English), this presented a dichotomy of being. I had the choice to centre the narrative around either my Chinese or Malaysian heritage—which of these would fit as my “own voice”? Which one really reflects me? My ethnic background or my nationality? At the point of writing Amok, my identification was, and still continues to be, very much more of “Malaysian” over that of “Chinese”. When living in London, I didn’t magically become a Chinese diaspora in the UK. I was very much a Malaysian diaspora in the UK. And that was the sticking point in choosing this specific Southeast Asian culture (quasi-Malaccan sultanate) and language (Malay) as the base for my worldbuilding. The word amok itself came to the English language by the way of the Malay word, amuk.
Stories help us make sense of our world. Seeing ourselves, our cultures, in fiction helps us remember that our cultures, our backgrounds have worth. The way we do things and why we do them may be different, but they’re not inherently wrong, bad, or less valuable. We exist and we are valid.
As English speakers, we’ve learnt to read and identify with default-white characters and cultures because that was what was available to us. It can’t be denied that they opened many new worlds to us through their stories. Now it’s our turn to return the favour.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna Tan grew up in Malaysia, the country that is not Singapore. She is interested in Malay/Nusantara and Chinese legends and folklore in exploring the intersection of language, culture, and faith.
Anna has an MA in Creative Writing: The Novel under a Chevening scholarship and is the President of the Malaysian Writers Society. She can be found tweeting as @natzers and forgetting to update annatsp.com.
Where to find Anna online:
Website: https://annatsp.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/annatsp
Facebook: http://facebook.com/annatansp
Twitter: http://twitter.com/natzers
Order your copy of Amok today.
For details of Book Launch and Order Links, please visit our :
Surprise Lockdown Launch page
All Putera Mikal wants is to gain the Amok Strength, the supernatural power granted by Kudus to the Mahan royal family. No matter how religiously Mikal keeps his vows, Kudus still denies him the Strength—whilst his father, Sultan Simson, flaunts the Strength despite his blatant defiance of the Temple and the priests’ visions of coming doom.
Then the prophecies come true.
Taken captive, Mikal must find a way to liberate his people and restore his throne in Maha—and the key to this is the Amok Strength. But what does it take to gain Kudus’ favour?
In light of our not-so-surprising Total Lockdown, Teaspoon Publishing has decided to push up the release date of Amok for a surprise lockdown launch!
Yes, Amok ebooks drop on 1 June* so that you can hunker down in your house and entertain yourself with a great read. We'll still honour our launch prices, so our ebook preorder prices of RM12 (USD2.99) will remain until the 23rd of June and will rise to RM20 (USD4.99) on 24 June.
* some retailers might release it on 2 June.
If you’ve preordered a paperback and/or still want to order one, we’re also maintaining the preorder price of RM35 until we actually have the printed books in hand. We'll also sweeten the deal by sending you an ebook copy to keep you occupied until the paperback finally gets printed.
And while we're at it, send a screenshot of your Amok purchase receipt (whether ebook or paperback) to admin@teaspoonpublishing.com.my by 24 June to claim a free copy of The Painted Hall Collection! Also tell us if you’d like it in ebook (e-pub or mobi) or if you’d like a paperback—we’ll ship this to you for free.
Happy reading!
Stay safe, stay home, and get vaccinated.
#LindungiDiriLindungiSemua
| Cover reveal: | 24 May 2021 |
| Cover Reveal Page: | Click here |
| SURPRISE LOCKDOWN LAUNCH (EBOOK ONLY) |
| 1 June 2021 |
| Published by: | Teaspoon Publishing |
| Cover artist:: | Jiwosophy.co |
| No. of pages: | 345 |
| Reviews on Goodreads: | Click here |
EBook Order links:
| Amazon: | Order here |
| Universal link: | http://getbook.at/Amok |
| Google Play: | Order here |
| Other retailers: | Order here |
| Teaspoon Publishing: | Order here |
| Ebook sale price (until 23 June): | USD2.99 / RM12.00 |
| Full price (24 June): | USD4.99 / RM20 |
| Malaysia Only—Signed Paperbacks: | Order here |
| Paperback preorder price (until we receive the print books): | RM35 |
| Full price: | RM45 |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna Tan grew up in Malaysia, the country that is not Singapore. She is interested in Malay/Nusantara and Chinese legends and folklore in exploring the intersection of language, culture, and faith.
Anna has an MA in Creative Writing: The Novel under a Chevening scholarship and is the President of the Malaysian Writers Society. She can be found tweeting as @natzers and forgetting to update annatsp.com.
Where to find Anna online:
Website: https://annatsp.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/annatsp
Facebook: http://facebook.com/annatansp
Twitter: http://twitter.com/natzers
| Previous: | Cover Reveal | Next: | A message from the Author |
Would that I were free to float and fly
and rise above the hills and mountain peaks
then stop to rest in quiet places high,
with nothing else to seek.
Would that I could change my form at will
sometimes a column sometimes a silky strand
or scaly layers lined up straight and still,
nothing else I'd want.
Would that I were free to roam the skies
beyond the reach of suffering and pain
far from unjust words and wicked lies,
neither shackled nor restrained.
Would that I were a cloud in the sky.
"Would that I were"
by Harolde Huang
Thursday 2021.05.27 23:10 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
#daydreams #heartfelt #sightandsounds
All Putera Mikal wants is to gain the Amok Strength, the supernatural power granted by Kudus to the Mahan royal family. No matter how religiously Mikal keeps his vows, Kudus still denies him the Strength—whilst his father, Sultan Simson, flaunts the Strength despite his blatant defiance of the Temple and the priests’ visions of coming doom.
Then the prophecies come true.
Taken captive, Mikal must find a way to liberate his people and restore his throne in Maha—and the key to this is the Amok Strength. But what does it take to gain Kudus’ favour?
| Cover reveal: | 24 May 2021 |
| Release date: | 24 June 2021 |
| Published by: | Teaspoon Publishing |
| No. of pages: | 345 |
| Reviews on Goodreads: | Click here |
Pre-order links:
Amazon: Click here
Universal link: http://getbook.at/Amok
Ebook preorder price: USD2.99 / RM12.00 [Full price: USD4.99 / RM20]
Malaysia Only—Signed Paperbacks: Click here
Paperback preorder price: RM35 [Full price: RM45]
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anna Tan grew up in Malaysia, the country that is not Singapore. She is interested in Malay/Nusantara and Chinese legends and folklore in exploring the intersection of language, culture, and faith.
Anna has an MA in Creative Writing: The Novel under a Chevening scholarship and is the President of the Malaysian Writers Society. She can be found tweeting as @natzers and forgetting to update annatsp.com.
Where to find Anna online:
Website: https://annatsp.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/annatsp
Facebook: http://facebook.com/annatansp
Twitter: http://twitter.com/natzers
| Next: | Surprise Lockdown Launch |
Bufo the true toad:
"This coming weekend, Rana, are you free?
Would you like to come and visit me?
You are certainly very much welcome
to be my guest, in my humble little home.
I'll bring you around the tall Giant Lily
towering above, swaying ever so gently.
We can also meet the other villagers
living by the stream of Healing Waters."
Rana the true frog:
"Thanks, Bufo, that's really really good.
I'd like to visit your part o' the woods,
to see what life is like among your clan,
and learn about toads as much as I can."
Bufo:
"Looking forward to your visit this weekend!
Just give me a couple o' croaks, which true frogs send,
through your True Croak channel, if you may,
when you're about a hundred frog leaps away."
Story-teller:
Some true frogs and true toads, by the way,
have the power of True Croak, they say.
They can channel their croaks over long distances,
talking to fellow clansmen in amphibian parlance.
However, this power of True Croak can only be
summoned and used on New Moon days, you see.
Both Rana frog and Bufo toad, coincidentally,
have this power, and it will be New Moon shortly.
That New Moon weekend arrived rather quickly.
Rana said good-bye to his Ranidae family,
and the army of frogs living by the river bank
where the old farmer's troubled boat once sank.
He hopped and leapt his way with reckless glee,
under the cool shade of many a jungle tree,
climbing over rocks with slimy moss,
fording shallow streams, to get across.
Sweet songs of many birds chirping everywhere,
fragrance of flowers fill the morning air,
with odour of old leaves rotting on the ground,
Rana was immersed in the sight and sound.
As he approached the village of true toads
a long way from the nearest man-made road,
among the boulders beneath the Giant Lily,
resides the ancient Bufonidae family.
"Croak-croak! Croak-croak! Croak-croak Crrooakk!"
Rana summoned the power of his True Croak
and channelled it towards Bufo the true toad,
who was home, brushing warts on his overcoat.
"Croaky Croaky Croaky Croakk!"
through the True Croak channel Bufo croaked,
telling Rana loudly that he will be waiting,
by the old village gate will he be squatting.
"Rana! Rana! This way! Over here!"
shouted Bufo, when he saw Rana appear
in the distance, approaching by and by,
"Hey Bufo! Good to see you." was Rana's glad reply.
to be continued . . .
"Rana visits Bufo, Part One"
by Harolde Huang,
Sun 2021.05.16 15:22 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
A lady selling breakfast,
standing
at her makeshift table by the roadside,
quietly waiting
for a passer-by or two
to stop and buy her ware,
looking forlorn.
A man selling hot drinks
leaning
against his coffee stall in the marketplace
eagerly waiting
for a customer or two
to stop for a cup of coffee or tea,
looking forlorn.
An old shopkeeper,
sitting
at the counter of his deserted toy shop
by the corner of a lonely street
patiently waiting
for a shopper or two
to come in and buy toys for their kids,
looking forlorn.
They are caught
in a long torturous wait for customers,
hoping for
perhaps some,
perhaps a few,
perhaps at least one,
to brighten the day.
All of them in a sombre mood,
desperately trying
to earn enough
to pay for all the expenses
to carry on living,
hanging on
to whatever little hope is left,
looking forlorn.
"Forlorn"
by Harolde Huang,
Saturday 2021.05.15 20:51 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
#pandemic #lockdown
Time has swiftly passed us by,
a year seems like a day.
Months have vanished in the sky,
weeks are marching away.
Time has left us in a bind,
marooned in a lifeless past.
Each of us is left behind,
with many unfinished tasks.
Our earnings are depleted,
our businesses destroyed.
Our meticulous plans defeated,
we are unemployed.
Loved ones at home we have not met,
our families we have not seen.
We cannot visit them as yet,
stranded we have been.
Time has left us so uncertain,
we do not have a clue.
Before us stands a daunting mountain,
of things that we wish to do,
Time has moved on to better times,
it has left us high and dry.
We face a mountain we cannot climb,
no one hears our cry.
"Left behind"
By Harolde Huang
Tue 2021.05.11 20:27 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
#pandemic #lockdown
We are shrouded by confusion,
groping in the dark.
With many orders and restrictions,
bringing unhappy remarks.
One minute an order is issued,
the next minute withdrawn.
One day a prohibition announced,
the next day it is gone.
The outbreak started last year,
many restrictions began.
The minister said you don't always need,
a permit from the policeman.
All you need is your employers' letter,
or your hospital appointment, he says,
You can travel across state boundaries,
the police won't hinder your way.
But the police at the road block says,
you shall by no means proceed.
Your appointment letter is not valid,
a police permit you need.
We're made to live in constant fear,
of being misled and deceived.
We grope around in darkness,
not knowing who to believe.
A few days ago a new lockdown,
was imposed on the nation's capital.
No one is allowed to move around,
into other districts to travel.
"Even those who have appointments
for vaccination in other districts,
need a permit from the police station,"
the minister was very strict.
Soon after, another minister announced,
you don't need police permission.
You only need to show the policeman,
your vaccination appointment!
Nurseries and kindergartens can open,
the security council did say,
"No, all kindergartens must be closed."
said the education ministry today.
Ministers contradict ministers,
while policemen make their own rules.
We grope around in darkness,
we're made to look like fools.
Meanwhile the disease continues,
to spread like a raging fire.
From a thousand new cases each day,
to two, three, four thousand and higher.
Hospitals are being overwhelmed,
almost bursting at the seams.
Doctors and nurses are overworked,
each day's a horrible dream.
Anxiety has overtaken us,
we're full of uncertainty.
We grope around in darkness,
in fear of calamity.
The authorities continue to bungle,
to fumble and stumble too.
For they are groping in the dark,
they don't know what to do.
"Groping in the dark"
By Harolde Huang,
Monday 2021.05.10 14:46 hrs GMT+8
poetry #poetrybyharolde
#pandemic #lockdown
A whirlpool of nasty orders
drags our nation down.
An arrogant administration
makes our people frown.
We're lost in an endless whirlpool
of reckless haphazard orders,
by idiots setting many rules
and making many blunders.
A whirlpool of hasty orders
spirals down the deep
dark, confusing waters,
into a sunken heap.
We're lost in a senseless whirlpool,
struggling to break free
from vicious cycles caused by fools,
our hardships they cannot see.
"Lost in a whirlpool"
by Harolde Huang.
Sat 2021.05.08 23:30 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
The doctor gave me a stern look,
He handed some papers to me.
It's the results of a blood test I took,
They were not encouraging to see.
"Have you been taking the medicines
Each day, for the three months past?
Your cholesterol levels have risen,
And it has gone up fast."
I went home, rather disappointed
With the results of the test.
By a good doctor I've been treated,
I thought I've done my best.
Now I need to take more medicines,
For another two months to come.
The doctor is not happy, by reason
Of the unexpected outcome.
"The doctor is not happy"
By Harolde Huang
Friday 2021.05.07 13:15 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
A blinding flash of lightning,
the evening sky turns bright.
A clap of thunder, loud and startling,
I shudder from the fright.
Noisily does the heavy rain pour,
I know not where it comes from.
Winds howl eerily through the door,
it's an evening thunderstorm.
"An evening thunderstorm"
By Harolde Huang
Wed 2021.05.05 20:04 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
Delicate little clusters,
Of dainty white flowers,
on a vine of glossy green leaves.
It crawls over the old fence,
makes known its subtle presence,
all who see it cannot believe:
That this tiny efflorescence,
Has such intoxicating fragrance,
It goes deep into one's soul.
Exquisite, enchanting,
Through the morning air wafting,
It refreshes and makes one whole.
For the skin, and for the hair,
to purify the surrounding air,
They say Jasmine is very good.
We brew it in teas, it's a healing potion,
and put it in soap and lotions,
Its aroma brings a good mood.
"Jasmine"
By Harolde Huang,
Monday 2021.05.03 22:19 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
A true frog met a true toad,
by the side of a deserted road.
"Good morning sir!" croaked true frog,
as he hopped towards a log.
"My name is Rana Ranidae,
Pleased to meet you here today."
"I wish you a very Good Morning!"
true toad returned the warm greeting.
"And I am Bufo Bufonidae.
Nice to meet you going this way."
"Please call me Rana." said Mr Ranidae,
"And just call me Bufo." said Mr Bufonidae.
The two gentlemen by the log did squat
And decided to carry on a little chat.
"Are you from the Bufonidae family
that stays by the shade of the Giant Lily,
where the healing waters flow?"
Rana wished to know.
"Yes, I am. That's where my family stays."
croaked Bufo in his usual friendly way.
"And where is the Ranidae army based?"
Bufo added with some haste.
"Oh, we live upstream by the river bank,
where the old farmer's boat once sank."
True frogs and true toads, we are told,
are filled with True Curiosity in their souls.
Soon, their little chit-chat turned
into curious questions, each from the other to learn.
They told each other more and more,
about neighbours, relatives, and stories of yore.
"And who is your great great great grandfather?"
Rana eagerly wanted to gather.
"My great great great grandfather,
was called the Anura Order."
Bufo replied as a matter of fact.
"He received the Order by the Elders' Pact."
"Order of Anura!" Rana croaked with great surprise.
"Oh! What a coincidence. That's very nice!
I never expect to meet a relative like you.
Anura is my great great great grandfather too!"
"That means we're, uhh . . . great great great grand cousins!"
Bufo looked stunned, he stared blankly at the horizon.
"This is unbelievable! Boy oh boy!"
Rana lept around the log with joy
So from that unforgettable day,
Rana Ranidae and Bufo Bufonidae
made it a point to meet for a chat,
beside the old log they would squat.
With the unquenchable fire of True Curiosity,
True frog and true toad traced their ancestry
all the way back to the Ancestor Grand,
Who migrated to this land,
A land swarming with mosquitoes and butterflies,
This is where their future lies.
To this forested land grand ancestor came
Class Amphibia was his grand name.
Thus, true frog and true toad became best friends forever,
They would squat by the log to chit-chat, happily ever after.
"A frog and a toad"
By Harolde Huang,
Sunday 2021.05.02 18:04 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
When I am abandoned by others,
And none would hear my plea,
When no one seems to bother,
Will you stand by me?
When I am maligned and scolded,
As harshly as can be,
When I am badly insulted,
Will you stand away from me?
When I am compelled to make a stand,
Against the powers that be,
When I strive against the strong hand,
Will you stand with me?
When many are opposed to my stance,
My reasons they refuse to see,
When no one comes to my defence,
Will you too stand against me?
"Will you stand by me?"
By Harolde Huang,
Saturday 2021.05.01 16:04 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
My bedroom upstairs has a window,
It gives me a view of town.
And I can see the street below,
As I stand there looking down.
An old French window it's always been,
Reaching to the floor.
Its panes and frame are painted green,
To match the bedroom door,
Each morning I will draw the curtains,
And swing the green panes out.
Of what will greet me, I am certain,
As I hear loud voices shout.
The long and narrow street below,
Has become a noisy market.
People wandering to and fro,
With money in their pockets.
Hawkers call, and peddlers shout,
To visitors in their sight.
"Come and buy!" rings through the crowd,
They call with all their might.
Vegetable stalls full of leafy greens,
And spicy chillis red.
"Fresh and cheap!" you're almost convinced,
By words so earnestly said.
Fish mongers further down the street,
With the butcher at the entrance,
"Chop, Chop, Chop!" the cleaver meets,
The chopping board with a vengeance.
As morning gives way for noon day sun,
To take its rightful place.
The stalls are closed down one by one,
And go their separate ways.
My old French window is alone again,
Deserted by the crowd,
Its sturdy frame, and creaky panes,
Hang silently, staring out.
The Old French Window.
By Harold B Huang,
Friday 2021.04.30 18:09 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#poetryprompt
#poetrywritingmonth
What is our iife?
Life is made of food we eat,
Of fine clothes on the body.
A shelter over our heads we need,
A home that's neat and tidy.
Where is life's journey?
Some go over many mountains tall,
And sail the seven seas,
Others do not venture out at all,
They live in quiet and peace.
Some wander to the ends of the earth,
In search of a tastier morsel,
A finer robe on them to gird,
A mansion in which to nestle.
When is the end?
We desist not from storing up treasure,
From our seeking and frantic searching,
For finer, fuller, and bigger pleasures,
Our pursuit is never ending.
Why do we strive so?
We look within, and see a fire,
That we must constantly feed.
Our insatiable wants, our burning desires,
Have eclipsed our basic needs.
The love of possessions, of pleasure and power,
Has displaced the love for mankind,
We live high up in our opulent tower,
We have not the poor in mind.
How shall we live?
Let us turn from all our endless getting,
To a life of generous giving.
Let us turn from all our greedy seeking,
To relieve the poor and grieving.
Questions in Life
By Harolde Huang
Thursday 2021.04.29 13:32 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
The Wind of death, it is blowing in,
Across the lands, over the seas.
It stretches its wings, an eagle unseen,
From its sharp talons, none can flee.
It may arrive a gentle breeze,
Softly caressing the shoulders of some.
On other days it makes many freeze,
A cold wintry gust it has become.
Suddenly it rises, a ferocious tempest,
Rushing recklessly, a deafening roar.
It tramples on all from east to west,
Dragging many towards death's door.
Each day we're kept at the edge of our seats,
As the news is announced, our anxiety builds.
We're told of victims, whom this wind beats,
Of whom it injures, of whom it kills.
Some left unscathed by the soft and gentle breeze,
Others survive the gust, struggling and weak.
Some have succumbed in deep tempestuous seas,
Swept away into darkness: bitter, barren, and bleak.
Winds of death.
By Harolde Huang
Wednesday 2021.04.28 15:55 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde #pandemic #covid19
As I was getting ready to go to work,
A nagging thought came to mind.
Each morning, when a new day begins,
There are tasks to keep in mind.
Out in the city, driving to wor,k
On the busy traffic you set your mind.
Sometimes you arrive at Office late,
Your boss gives you a piece of his mind.
And when the boss makes foolish decisions,
You're almost compelled to speak your mind.
However, to avoid seeing him fly
Into a rage and lose his mind,
You decide to keep quiet and remain still,
For wisdom tells you to change your mind.
Win an argument and lose your job?
In such situations you must make up your mind.
Or lose to a fool and keep your job,
In this matter you can't be in two minds.
At times, you seem meek and timid to others,
They don't know what goes on at the back of your mind.
You have learnt to bear with petty people,
And often tell yourself, "Never mind".
After years of working with both wise and foolish,
The experience broadens your mind.
At the end of the day, you look back and see,
The best thing to do is, "Mind your mind."
Mind your mind.
By Harolde Huang,
Tuesday 2021.04.27 15:27 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
A heartfelt letter I write to you
To tell of things that you should know
Secret thoughts I reveal to you
Hidden feelings I wish to show
Not like any letter I have ever sent
Nor any you have ever received
This letter is not inscribed by pen
Nor by ink its words conceived
In its envelope a blank page sits
Filled with empty lines within
Not a single sentence appears in it
Nor can any paragraph be seen
Within your soul will you uncover
Its contents not revealed on paper
A letter of silence to ponder over
It speaks to you in a muffled whisper
For in it are profound thoughts unspoken
And deep feelings never expressed
I send to you this letter, still and silent
To tell you my secrets, so my heart may rest.
A Silent Letter
By Harolde Huang
Monday 2021.04.26 21:11 hrs
GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharolde
When on the thinker dawns a thought,
Like the rising sun at break of day,
The darkness of night is set at naught,
And dimness of sight is swept away.
A poet is made.
When epiphany engulfs the soul,
And great awakening the mind enlightens,
When rhythm and rhyme begins to roll
And by measured words the world brightens
A poet is made.
A poet is made when thoughts assail
The thinker's heart and mind
And turns a dream into a world so real
With words that few can find.
A Poet is made.
By Harolde Huang,
Sunday, 2021.04.25 2224 hrs GMT+8
#poetrybyharolde #poetry
I was just telling family members the other day, when the lockdown began last year, enforcement officers were highly biased. Most of the time, our non-Earth shops, hawker stalls, business premises and individuals were the ones getting raided, checked, and fined.
In my in-laws home town, a few restaurant workers were fined for not wearing masks while washing dishes in the kitchen AFTER the shop has closed for the day!
As a result of such biased and racist enforcement, most of us non-Earth people adopted a highly cautious stance, taking every possible precaution against anything that the Earth officials can find fault with.
For example, in my town, Chinese Clan Associations even refused to open the cemeteries for the recent Cheng Beng grave-cleaning festival, to avoid getting heavily fined for any small excuse .
This proved to be a blessing in disguise, as we non-Earth people are largely shielded from the virus by our cautious behaviour.
Friday 2021.02.26 1800 hrs
This afternoon, I came across the following post on the "English Literature" page on facebook:
Here is an example, how Readers and Writers think on any subject.
• Reader : He is angry.
• Writer. : Sitting at his desk, his jaw tightened. His eyes flashed heat waves at me. The words erupted from his mouth, "I want to talk to you after class." The final hiss in his voice warned me about his feelings.
I decided to respond to this post with a little twist, not expecting it to get more than two hundred Likes and twenty odd Comments complimenting me, all in about five hours. At the time of writing this post, more Likes and Comments are still coming in.
It is bonanza day for me.
Here's my "plot twist" response:
Finally, class was over. I waited for him in the hallway, heart beating quickly in my chest, cold sweat breaking out, with all kinds of thoughts rushing through my mind.
I held my breath when he appeared and walked towards me.
He stopped, looked at me intently, and said,
"I just want to tell you that I have been selected for the role of angry teacher in the school play. I was rehearsing my part when you came into my room just now. Come let me give you a treat at the cafeteria . . ."
Lagu Tema Tahun Baru Cina 2021:
"Tidak dibenarkan"
Upacara sembahyang
- tidak dibenarkan.
Tarian singa, tarian naga
- tidak dibenarkan.
Perarakan tanglung dan chingay
- tidak dibenarkan.
Opera dan pertunjukan pentas
- tidak dibenarkan.
Ziarah rumah ke rumah
- tidak dibenarkan.
Rentas daerah rentas negeri
- tidak dibenarkan.
Rupa-rupanya
semua benda tidak dibenarkan.
Jadi, duduklah diam-diam di rumah
bersama keluarga anda.
Main fesbuk, tonton TV,
Makan, minum, pagi, petang,
Bangun, tidur, bangun, tidur,
di rumah masing-masing.
Buatlah Majlis Makan Besar
secara olok-olok
bersama keluarga kecilmu.
Pura-pura adakan "Reunion"
dengan ahli keluarga yang duduk jauh.
Cuma itu sahaja dibenarkan,
Cuma itu sahaja dibenarkan . . .
"Tidak dibenarkan"
2021.02.05 2204 hrs
#poetrybypengyou #poetry
MCO = Movement Control Order
Will be imposed nation wide.
Sung to the tune of Jingle Bells:
MCO, MCO, MCO comes our way.
It's no fun, we have to hide,
Inside the house today . . .
MCO, MCO, MCO comes our way.
It's no fun, we have to stay,
Inside our homes all day.
Going to the shops
In a one passenger car
Questioned by the cops
At road blocks near and far
Letters we must bring
To show we have the right
To go to work and do our things
And be back at home by night.
MCO, MCO, MCO comes our way.
It's no fun, we have to hide,
Inside the house today . . .
MCO, MCO, MCO comes our way.
It's no fun, we have to stay,
Inside our homes all day.
MCO
2021.01.19 18:51 hrs
#poetrybypengyou #poetry
I wish to visit distant places
to stand on distant lands
To hear people engrossed in chatter
in words I don't understand
I wish to walk across the
border to the country next to mine
To meet up with my grandchildren
and see happy faces shine
I wish to go out for a dinner
with family and loved ones dear
In a busy crowded restaurant
without worry, without fear
I wish to greet my next door neighbour
with Good Morning and a smile
Without hiding behind a mask
Nor keep an arm's length all the while.
I wish.
20210101 1122 hr
#poetry #poetrybypengyou #MyWritersPoetryPrompt
An Anthology — A burong descends from Tansang Kenyalang in the midst of a dire catastrophe. A shapeshifter f...
