Live well, work hard, play play? 
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The Garden, The End of Our Neverending
As I lay you down on the grass, the orange daisies weeping around us, the lotus flowers opening and closing, the armageddon coming and coming, my love, my love, this is the end of our neverending.
We go down together. We enter the garden of lanterns of grave lament, as the ghosts and the dead generals serenade in dread torment. We go down together, give us a kiss, give us a prayer. I’ve been a bad man, sure, but believe me, my beloved, I’m no sinner.
Hand in my hand, lips upon my lips, we fall against the ready soil and we go down together.
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The Lanterns, The Song, Their Grave Lament
This is where the rhyming ends. Real life does not move to verse, nor does time bend to meter and melody. For what we fail to understand, the song keeps us lost in a gut-wrenching rhapsody.
What song, you ask?
This song, every song we ever hear. We used to sing it, all of us, the same song, high and clear.
The lotus flower opens and greets us; we are visitors and we are here. The gates open to the garden. Here where lanterns glow in grave lament, for lost souls and forgotten generals of wars long past. History is buried here, and the dead walk in pairs so they won’t be without another hand upon their own.
It is a beautiful day. All the ghosts in the garden of lanterns of grave lament begin to sing. All the ghosts, every sacred host. This song, our song, the song of every being.
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The Eye of the Lion, the Flames and the Carrion
The work of skilled craftsmen who wander amongst the dead, their lights a haunted glow our growing dread do spread. Demon fire clustered in hundreds, thousands, maybe; hanging from the stars, the hills, the trees. This exploding life, this decay, this spoiling menu of dark, darkened days. Goblin-work this is, mischief and malevolence, we dance together, as beasts, as burdens, as colours changing with every damned season.
The flames and the carrion, let the fire feed on what must die and pass. Thus framed in the eye of the lion, all that is life shall not last. Such terrible truth and unease do our mortal strains release.
We are shooting stars, we are speed, we are flaming lions on the prowl.
No one shall ever catch us now.
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Buddha Sunrise
The universe smacks me by the side of my head. I needed that, eh? I need some changing, some quickening, my blood spun and sped. What is zen and what gets spent, our material girdle, a capitalist cycle that has no safety brakes, no season for snowflakes. This is the summer of our malcontent, our glory days came and went. This life, this song, this story, it has no shelter, no canopy.
We live with our hearts on our sleeves, with time thick as thieves. Will we get to spend it all before the sun sets, will we get to throw down that final bet? Your guess is as good as mine. Just don’t miss that sunrise, sublime.
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The Dueling Dragons and the Heart’s Desire
The lessons that we learn, the karma we must burn. All that is good shall come to war, the dragons dueling at our door. The angel and the devil shall wrestle, upon our mortal bone and pestle. I should go and let them end, or else to a decision come shall I pretend.
Who could love you more than I could? Who could love you when it is I who should?
I rub the stone and I whisper, upon God’s throne a little prayer: May we have our heart’s desire and not regret it; may our love be blessed and not lost to cheap deceit.
No one could love you more than I could. You who are everything in my life that is good.
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Farewell
Here it is. The time for goodbye. I bid you farewell and a very good life. The song has been sung, the lamented hearts wrung. The garden is closed, the ashes disposed. The ghosts return to their plots, these silent lambs of God. Summer shifts to spring, the seasons reversing. As we depart, we arrive; the actors replaying their parts. We go down together, we come alive, we bid you farewell and a very good life.
A very good life, my friends, may you have this with all amends.
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… postscript
This is the last part of my Vietnam series, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. I know it’s a long time coming (supposedly to be posted in February, no less) and when it arrived, it sure was longer than any of us expected. Fortunately, there shall be no Part Five. (For now, at least, until I return to this rustic land not so faraway.)
But I do bid all my readers adieu… for three weeks, anyway. I’m off the Great Britannia for a good rest and a fun time with my wonderful friends English and Scottish alike. I fly on the morrow. Life for Beginners will be on hiatus till mid-May at least. Don’t worry; like the Gubernator… I veel bee bak. 
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Photographs & design by Kenny Mah.
Hà Nội, Vietnam.
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Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
Part 1: The Communist Merman
Part 2: These Pages They Dream
Part 3: The Streets of Long Goodbyes
Part 4: The Garden of Lanterns of Grave Lament
You should travel more. You can write love stories for travelogue. Salute!
*Will have sweet dreams tonight*
Ah, travel’s only fun if it’s for pleasure and not business, no? The latter is very, very tiring lah. But I’m certainly not complaining — for every month of hard working trips (no pun intended), shouldn’t I be granted a week or two of sweet vacation?
omg i can’t believe i’ll be seeing these pretty silk lanterns when i’m in hanoi in 6 wks’ time! so, will thr be stories from the great britannia soon?
Have loads of fun in Hanoi, dear! It’s fantastic… and very inspiring as you can tell by the number of posts I can’t seem but help roll out here, hehe.
As for the Great Britannia, well, would anyone believe me if I said I won’t have stories from my trip there?
Dun bluff us lah… sure got stories wan… lol
A while ago I was here and yet time flies that you written lots on Vietnam which I missed. This is where you end and I will start the sequel of Hanoi in May/June. Will be there in May including to SAPA, a nice highland but no love songs…..
Oooh the highlands! I’m sure if you listen hard enough, you will hear a love song or two…
Safe trip and have fun in May/June!
“Who could love you more than I could? Who could love you when it is I who should?”
Can’t help but empathise with the arrogance of the possession! My love is always better, even if I am the only one who thinks so.
Have a great trip to GB Kenny! Bring us back more stories now, ya hear?
The arrogance of possession? I love that expression — it’s true what they say about if you love someone you let them go… but not too far lah, make sure you have a rope attached to their waist or ankle or something… LOL
but if the rope is too loose she will run away…. :p
Ah but if she’s meant to be yours she will return, without a rope or a noose….
like a butterfly that flies back to its owner?
Something liddat. But maybe not owner since we do not each other truly possess, if you know what I mean.
yes, i understand. love is not about possesing.
Attaboy!
A really mystical place on earth , replete with rainbolic callings even we can feel it here in misguided n misplaced Gastronomic Country south of where your almost nearly perfect sentimental sojourn is just beginning
Gastronomic Country — that sounds like a fine name for a travel cookbook (or do I mean cooking travelguide?) … Hmm.
it’s high time u publish a book be it a cookbook or travel guide JUST DO IT!
*meeps*
ah! you’re going away!!! i just got back!
well…. at least i’ll have your entire part1-4 series to keep my company for the next 3 weeks…! safe journey and happy holidays!
Haha, everyone seems to be in a mad maelstrom of holiday fever right now… Well, I’m glad you’re back safely… Time for me to embark on my own journey…
Every(almost) post you write oozes with love & sensuality.. I can imagine how your beloved must feel when you whisper words of love into her ears.
I wish you a safe & enjoyable trip.
Have a scone & a cucumber sandwich for me.
“Have a scone & a cucumber sandwich for me.”
For you, my dear, I’ll have two!
Okay. LIke can I hire you to be my photographer when I travel! I love the pics!
Kein problem, mein Freund… Just pay for my travel and accommodation and I am soooo on board!
they never end, these lives on land. memories befall from the merman, just to see you again. forget them not, spare them a thought. when the gardens of Britannia greet, there the old friends meet. for good times last, present or past.
sail on, merman! let the wind tangles your skin, let your adventures begin!
The adventure begins indeed in Avalon, where I can feast on buttered scones and English abalones… Not a merman am I there, but a selkie, British and bare…
Oh dear. Need to stop. Rhyming. Or I shall drop…
The colorful lanterns are so pretty…
See you in mid-May!!! Ta..ta….
Pretty and surprisingly cheap too! Go buy, go buy! Hahaha…
See ya guys soon enough!
3 weeks vacation?!! wow. i envy you lah …..
i’m sure you’ll have a great time over there. cant wait for you to wax lyrical (erm, sounds morbid eh, AWOL?!! hehe) bout UK.
Wax Lyrical? Oh dear, I’m not sure the lady will enjoy that, though I’m been told I have strong, gentle hands, ahem.
“No one could love you more than I could. You who are everything in my life that is good.”
this romantic before a vacation? i cannot imagine how u will wax lyrical AFTER ur honeymoon, hehehe ….
Not a honeymoon lah…
I fall in love. Every smile on your face, never fails to brighten up my day. Every drop of tears you shred, it hurts me so in my heart. Alas, the good times never lasts, this is the end. I’m just a passerby in your colourful life. Farewell, my dear.
Awww… I didn’t realise I meant that much to you, LIC. Hehe.
LOL! no la, looking at the graden of lanterns of grave lament, prompts me to write that. And its not for u
Aww, I wish it were…
You will come back with a series of 10 replete with gargoyles and English dragons!? But please let the good triumph over evil as there are times I dread to read too dark a tale.
Urgles. If I came back with a ten-part series, I doubt I have to worry about my readers fainting from the sheer size of it — I’d faint first from exhaustion!
But yeah, doesn’t good always triumph over evil? At least in my books, they do.
Kenny Mah, Kenny Mah, where have you been?
I’ve been to London to visit the Queen.
Kenny Mah, Kenny Mah, what did you do there?
I frightened a little mouse, under her chair
Suddenly rhymes like this comes into my head. Aiyo! Even London Bridge is falling down is ringing in my head! oh no….
The funny thing is … I am visiting a friend nicknamed ‘Mouse’ there… Not in London though but Edinburgh!
Kenny Mah is falling down,
Falling down, Falling down.
Kenny Mah is falling down,
Falling down, Falling down.
Never-ending
Speaking of neverending…
Enjoy your trip, man!
Thanks, dear — just got back today!
The “botak” tree so artistic!!!
Hehe, can you imagine it when it had a full head of hair, er, leaves?
‘Who could love you more than I could?’
Echoes from a past, that – words said before by a girl in another life in another time, before that very same time was counted by the frozen pearls of her tears. So very true. But, I’ll have more to tell you when I -do- see you again, promise.
I hope you’re having a wonderful time in Britannia (lord, I miss it, I was there last year for the first time after uni and it wasn’t nearly enough). But! Just to let you know! I’ve nominated you for a Malaysian Creative Blogger award here:
http://shukuen.blogspot.com/2009/05/monday-surprise.html
Because your writing is so beautiful and even when I don’t think I possibly could, you make me cry because it touches my heart.
Ooh, this is over a week due… Just got back to KL today and what a nice surprise this is, dear. Danke!
Waiting to see your coming post of your great holiday. Till then, have a wonderful time.
The UK vacation posts will be coming… just not too soon. Have to return to the grind of things first, i.e. work on Monday!
what a surreal garden like alice in wonderland!
Ah, one day I should write a Malaysian version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, no? Be darn weird, it would (weirder than it already is?).
So colourful.
All the colours of the rainbow, mate, all the colours of the rainbow
“Demon fire clustered in hundreds, thousands, maybe; hanging from the stars, the hills, the trees. This exploding life, this decay, this spoiling menu of dark, darkened days.”
surreal n scary…. nice.
You don’t know half of it, sniggers.
there’s more?
There’s always more, always. What matters is whether we can leave these darkened days behind us or not.
just drop by to read your blog.. happy day ahead
Heya Leon, thanks for dropping by — always glad to see a friendly face! Have a happy day ahead too!
what are u rubbing down there?
One does wonder.
One minute England and now Vietnam? Wah u really travel a lot lah! So envy…
Actually it was Vietnam first (Feb ‘09), then the UK (May ‘09). I only wish I travelled more (for pleasure, that is — not work!)