Mermaid with a lion head

I wrote this poem after I came across a photo of visitors to Merlion Park Singapore trying to position themselves to appear to be drinking from the fountain of water spouting from the Merlion statue.

A mermaid with a lion head
Much water doth it spout
A thirsty man looked up to wait
His body fat and stout

Into the river, water sprayed
So deep down did it sink
Alas! In vain did Thirsty wait
No water did he drink

Mermaid with a lion head
By Harold Huang
Tue 2025-01-28 1150 hrs GMT+8
#sightsandsounds #daydreams

Vibrations of the soul

GETARAN JIWA 1958 — VIBRATIONS OF THE SOUL

Singable English lyrics,
my version . . . Updated with rhyming on 2026-03-25

VERSE 1:
Getaran jiwa, melanda hatiku
Vibrations of the soul, they flood into my heart

Tersusun nada, irama dan lagu
The tones, the me-lody, a song it does impart

CHORUS:
Walau hanya sederhana
Although it's only a sim-ple tune

Tetapi tak mengapa
It doesn't matter to me

Moga dapat membangkitkan
May it bring about an awakening

Sedarlah kamu wahai insan
Won't you wake up, my friend, and see

VERSE 2:
Tak mungkin hilang, Irama dan lagu
It never goes away, this melody and song

Bagaikan kumbang, Sentiasa bermadu
Like bees and flowers, with honey all day long

ENDING:
Andai dipisah lagu dan irama
And if torn apart, the song from melody

Lemah tiada berjiwa, hampa
I will be weak and lifeless, emp—ty . . .

Vibrations of the soul
English lyrics by Harold Huang
1st edition 27Aug24 1848 hrs
2nd edition 25Mar26 GMT+8
#song #daydreams #heartfelt

• Getaran Jiwa — P Ramlee

Grandfather

Write in the park, day 16.

This morning I try my hands at writing limericks in anapestic trimeter. Typically, limericks are often rude and humorous. My limericks are not rude, I think, but I hope you'll find it at least a little humorous.

Old grandpa he was tough and much hardened
He doted on all his grandchildren
They asked for some bread
He made dinner instead
With the food he could find in the kitchen.

And one day old grandpa went to town
From the shops he did look for a gown
He found one that he liked
It was cosy inside
But it made grandpa look like a clown

In the evening grandpa he would sit
On his rocking chair resting his feet
Grandchildren would come
His bald head they would comb
Old grandpa would pretend it was neat.

"Grandfather" — limericks
by Huang Bing Yao
Sun 05Jun22 0851 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybybingyao
#daydreams #limerick
#writeinthepark

Eat, Sleep, Play

They eat, and sleep, and then they play,
what little babies do all day.
When they start to smell,
loudly do they yell,
they will not listen to what you say.

"Eat, sleep, play"
- a limerick
by Huang Bing Yao
Wed 18May22 1111 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybybingyao
#daydreams #limerick

In your dreams

Write in the city 07May22

If I could appear in your dream
and meet you face to face,
it matters not if we're separated
by journeys of many days

If I could answer in my dream
a question you have asked,
no longer will you have to wait
'til another day has passed.

If we could promise to meet up
in our dreams tonight,
and have some tea together
that will be a great delight.

A dreamy view of the city skyline

If we could meet our long lost friends
in our dreams at will,
we won't need to call or write
or send any message still.

If all our dreams were just as real
as when we are awake,
then the saying, "In your dreams"
a different meaning takes.

"In your dreams"
by Huang Bing Yao
Sat 07May22 1730 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybybingyao
#daydreams #writeinthecity

A Story Book

Write in the Park Day 06

A story book is like a ship
that sails the deep blue seas
through calm waters, ferocious storms
on a voyage you will be

A story book is like a train
that goes on endless tracks
up the mountains, down the gullies
you won't be coming back

A story book is like an eagle
that brings you up the sky
to look at people down below
and see them laugh and cry

A view from my park bench

A story book is like a rabbit
that burrows down a hole
through places dark and dangerous
where mysteries unfold

A story book is like a cure
for all your ills and woes
Whenever you need some respite
it is the place to go

So lay your hands on a story book
when you see one come your way
Feel the joy of reading it
and read one everyday.

"A story book"
by Huang Bing Yao
#poetry #poetrybybingyao
#daydreams #writeinthepark

Timeless time

From sunrise to sunset,
from nightfall to daybreak,
the cycle of a day revolves.

Time passes through the sky.

From the first hour to the sixth,
onwards to the twelfth,
the shadow of the sundial moves.

Time passes over the land.

Time reveals herself to us
by her rising and setting sun,
by her waxing and waning moon,

day after day,
night after night.

Time passes before our eyes.

What if
one day the sun stops rising
and tarries at the same spot
in the morning sky?

What if
one day the shadow stops moving
and dwells at the same line
on the sundial face?

Does time come to a stop?
Do we stop growing old?
Has time become timeless?

Time surpasses our mind.

"Timeless time"
by Harold B Huang
Tue 26Apr22 2021 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#heartfelt #daydreams

Day 26 : "time"
#mpwm22day26
#haroldhuang

Shadowy play

(A sonnet)

Every time you stop to talk with me,
you meet a veneer of my outer skin.
My outward behaviour is all you see,
while who I am is hidden deep within.

What I put on is my skin of choice:
the look on my face, gestures of my hand,
with my varied changing tones of voice,
and in the casual posture that I stand.

This skin of mine a scripted play performs,
in which I act out my own chosen drama,
a gripping life-like wayang of shadowy forms
moving together in perfect sandiwara.

Shadows of my skin are all you see,
underneath lurks that which is really me.

"Shadowy play"
by Harold B Huang
Thu 21Apr22 2120 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#daydreams #sonnet

Day 21 : "wayang kulit"
#mpwm22day21
#haroldhuang

The Honest Mirror

Many of us would like to know
what the future has in store
Few among us would wish to go
back to where we've been before

In those bygone days, however,
lie lessons for us to learn.
If we would pause and ponder,
our lives we may discern.

---

One day I found a mirror,
'twas framed in tarnished brass,
I looked at it, lo and behold!
I saw visions from my past.

Vivid scenes flashed before me
right from my early years,
when I was just a little child
with all my little fears.

My success and my failures,
and all my mischiefs too,
My times of joy and sorrow
like gusts of wind they blew.

Of my mistakes, there were many,
those times I spoke too soon,
Nasty replies, angry words,
Like the villain in a cartoon.

Suddenly, my accomplishments,
they seem no longer great.
My character not quite noble,
my very past I dread.

It was an honest mirror
I looked into that day,
A mirror that showed me plainly
vices I must put away.

---

Though I've always liked to know
what my future has in store,
Today I learned the way to go
seeing where I've been before.

For in the mirror of bygone days,
lie lessons for us to learn.
If we would pause and ponder,
our lives we may discern.

---

"The Honest Mirror"
by Harold B Huang
Thu 14Apr22 2150 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#heartfelt #daydreams

Day 14 : "mirror"
#mpwm22day14
#haroldhuang

Life of dreams, Dreams of life

When I was young,
my life was full of dreams.

I wanted to be a firefighter
fighting ferocious fires:
but the only fires I had ever fought
were mistakes in my life.

I dreamt I was an inventor
of new machines and devices:
all I invented were tricky ways
to get myself out of trouble.

I imagined being a warrior,
conquering distant lands:
I ended up fighting to conquer,
my greed and laziness.

I thought I'd become a hero,
to save the world from suffering:
the only heroic acts I did
were in saving my own skin.

My life is now bereft of dreams,
they have all materialised:
in ways I had never imagined,
my dreams are filled by life.

---

"Life of dreams, Dreams of life"
by Harold B Huang
Tue 12Apr22 0056 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#daydreams

Day 11 : "dreams"
#mpwm22day11
#haroldhuang

A Cat named Ice

A cat named Ice - a limerick.

There was a cat named Ice,
who loved looking for mice.
He found a fat mouse,
brought it to his house.
Their tea-party was very nice.

---

"A Cat named Ice"
by Harold B Huang
Fri 08Apr22 1039hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#daydreams

Day 8 : "comedy"
#mpwm22day8
#haroldhuang

Why?

Why is the sky so often blue,
and grassy fields so green?
Why are green skies unheard of,
and blue fields hardly seen?

Why aren't there any deep blue cows,
and green hens running around?
Why are they often white and grey,
or black or red or brown?

Why is your face not emerald green,
nor hands sapphire blue?
Why won't my eyes turn ruby red,
when I see a smile from you?

---

"Why?"
by Harold B Huang
Wed 06Apr22 1756 hrs GMT+8
#poetry #poetrybyharold
#sightandsounds #daydreams

Day 6 : "colour"
#mpwm22day6 #haroldhuang

Would that I were

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

Rana visits Bufo, Part One

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 frog and a toad

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