Rain-washed streets below
I watch all of you pass by
Where you go, and why?
.
Copyright © 2010 Kenny Mah Ying Fye. Photograph: “Walking in the rain…” by Chobonaut.
For Msiagirl, haiku pixie and friend of the five elements.
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About
Kenny Mah believes in the good in people. He has been blogging for over ten years. No, his hands aren't tired. Yet.
“Into each life some rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~
@jemima: Beautiful this. And I’ve been in such a mood for poetry these past couple of days too. For Larkin, for Rumi, for Woodsworth. But in a good way.
Rain to me, even on dark, cold nights, is a boon, is a signal to life and renewal and the fluidity of our days not passing by or passing us by but our days taking place, one second after another, filled with promise and action and fulfilment.
I’m so happy I hardly know why.
@jemima: In fact, one of my old favourites – “I Want to Die While You Love Me” by Georgia Johnson, below – has been in my head for some reason. It is so joyful, even though some may see it as bleak. So joyful.
I want to die while you love me,
While yet you hold me fair,
While laughter lies upon my lips
And lights are in my hair.
I want to die while you love me,
And bear to that still bed,
Your kisses turbulent, unspent,
To warm me when I’m dead.
I want to die while you love me,
Oh, who would care to live
Till love has nothing more to ask
And nothing more to give!
I want to die while you love me
And never, never see
The glory of this perfect day
Grow dim or cease to be.
I’m happy that you’re happy, my friend. :)
You’re happy because after the rain, there’s always a rainbow. ;)
When one is in love, one is happy. That’s a fact, my dear.
From your sharing of that lovely poem, I can sense that your heart or rather your whole-being is filled with love. ;)
Here’s one of my many fave poems:
“The Sun, Moon & Rain” by Dannielle Lovesong.
“Describe to me the one you love, the one you hold dear.”
People say and I reply as I draw near
To my heart’s desire, my heart’s love…
The sun you see in the morning rises when he does.
The sun you see, when it shines so brightly, is because he’s smiling
The sun you see shines when he and he alone is happy.
The moon you see rise at night, rises because his dreams come to life
Moonless nights, ever so dark and lacking the bright,
Is because dreams do not fill his head.
But instead, when the stars shine ever so brightly
He’s thinking of someone so knightly
A manner know to mankind that even the coldest of hearts will find
A place to love, and a place to care for that blessed dove.
The brightest star known to mankind shines because he is alive.
Once he dies, so does the star.
Something I wish for that is so far
Away from this time and age
Away from this madness and rage.
The sky cries the tears that he cannot.
It cries for the sadness and pain,
He sends the rains
For us to know he’s in turmoil
For us to know his sadness and depression,
So we know to be with him forever.
The sky releases it’s realms, the great terrors of the earth
When he’s angry and mad
At whatever earthly lad
Who doesn’t know the sorrow he has caused
To not only him but to the world that has evolved.
Yet when that blessed man comes to think of the one he loves,
When he comes to think of her in ways only he knows,
Does the world become harmonious.
Heaven and earth are one.
No one bickers, and there is peace in the world of men and women alike
For the time he thinks of her…
@jemima: And you, my friend, and Msiagirl (to whom I’ve dedicated this haiku) and so many others who I’ve been fortunate enough to befriend and share my life with – you are all my rainbows, rain or shine.
*hugs*
P.S. That is a beautiful poem, and the poet’s last name is rather appropriate, no? Piece of trivia: It’s also the title of one of my favourite songs, by The Cure.
@jemima: Just googled and found the lyrics to the song I mentioned above, in the postscript – “Lovesong” by The Cure:
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
I will always love you
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am free again
Whenever I’m alone with you
You make me feel like I am clean again
However far away
I will always love you
However long I stay
I will always love you
Whatever words I say
I will always love you
I will always love you
The cover by Tori Amos is haunting, heartbreaking too.
Hellooo darlings! what a lovely dedication
This poem below made me smile and cry too. Hope the formatting come out right:
Generic Love Poem
by Turkish Delight
Call a doctor/ plumber/ priest
My heart is broken/ leaking/ deceased
My life is worthless/ so much better/ over
I’m going to kill myself/ tell your wife/ Dover
How could you leave me/ not know/ lie?
I hope you return my stuff/ come back/ die
I’ll never forget you/ forgive you/ go away
I need closure/ a DNA test/ to tell you I’m gay
Your face/ crotch/ top of your back
Is so beautiful/ lumpy/ unusually slack
Your ex/ mother/ best friend from school
Always made me great coffee/ feel inadequate/ drool
I will miss you/ kill you/ stalk you forever
That way we can be friends/ get away with it/ be together
I’m sorry you did this/ I did this /we failed
I promise to pay you/ dye it back/ get you bailed
Please don’t leave me/ show the Polaroids/ write or call
(*delete as appropriate, just delete it all…..)
Read the poem in its original formatting here.
@msiagirl: Ooh I love this – turns the whole love poem schtick on its head, doesn’t it? Hahahaha…
Gonna work on editing the formatting for you though – it’s not coming out as it should cos of the darn HTML, I guess.
Everyone else who wishes to read it in its full glory, do click on the link at the last bit in the comment above, ja.
Ahhh but the only raining poetry I know is:
“When the sun shines, we’ll shine together
Told you I’ll be here forever
Said I’ll always be a friend
Took an oath I’mma stick it out till the end
Now that it’s raining more than ever
Know that we’ll still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella”
@A Lil Fat Monkey: ROFL.
Okay, you win hats down this time, bro!
(Well, at least till Kat or Sean shows up. Goodness knows what those two have up their respective sleeves. Hehe.)
Perhaps, I’d share something more original. Since I’m not usually good with words, let me say it with two pictures:
1. Rainy Morning: http://bit.ly/rainymorningKL
2. Rainy Evening: http://bit.ly/rainyeveningPJ
“You can stand under my umbrella, ella, ella…eh, eh, eh!”
@A Lil Fat Monkey: Ooh, both very cantik – but I especially likee the first one! Looks like snow falling in KL! *happy-ies*
so deep! :P
@ciki: Where got? Just rain lah. Notchet flash flood wor, so quite shallow, not deep. *guffaws*
HAHAHAHHA! Touche. (idiot!)
@ciki: *sniggers*
Oh, I got no haiku to berbalas this time (so far). Am just feeling so smug and proud of myself that I fled work 30 minutes early today when the sound of thunder became too ominous to ignore. Made it to Mid Valley without getting myself or my car wet. Hardly an achievement, but still gratifying, heheh :D
P.S. To answer the question in your haiku, I went there to gaze upon the beauty of Daniel Radcliffe (who displays much, much more flesh than expected). And to think we’ve watched him grow up over the past 8/9 years from a geeky pre-teen to a strapping young man. *sniff* So proud of my baby :p
@Sean: Smugness is so unbecoming. As is staying dry while the rest of us got caught in the rain & traffic. Hmmph.
But then again, our deeper and more meaningful experiences did inspire the above sharing of poetry, song and, er, Rihanna.
Teenage wizards just don’t even come close.
P.S. Of course, I suspect the sentence above is probably “inspired” by the fact tickets for HP7-P1 were all but sold out by the time we got to Pavilion last night. Damn rain.
Walk through mud and sludge,
Over big longkangs we trudge.
Just to find see hum..
:D
Of course we divert
From rainy day glum
To firmly assert
my love for see hum..
:D
@gfad: You did not just compose a poem/song/paean to see hum. Oh no. You did.
*fainted*
I think we both know who’s gonna love this…
Korean Fried Chicken
Crispy, spicy with Kimchi
Perfect meal with rain
@keropokman:
KFC? Wah liu…
I oso wan lick finger
I lick? Very good!!
That’s my version of a Singaporean Ah Beng doing haiku. Jadi tak?
Singapore Ah Beng?
Eh, you lick finger one meh?
Dun bluff me ok.
*likes*
[...] ** Inspired by Kenny. [...]
@keropokman:
I where got bluff wan?
Dun play play ok? I say
I lick means sure lick!
Okay, even I cringe at that last bit. Hehe.
@Michelle: Thanks! *beams*
And I like your rainy haiku too!
drunk man says no drunk
bluff man will say no bluff too
haiku day izit?
@keropokman:
But I not bluff man
So: I no bluff you wan, man
Or I bluff, you wan?
Yeaps, let’s say the haiku evening turned into a haiku night and now flowed over to a haiku morning and haiku afternoon… Hehe.
I heard of a quote…
“Life isn’t about how to survive in the storm, but how to dance in the rain”
I always enjoy a walk in the rain, enjoying the refreshing scent of the rain and cooling sensation on my head…as if the rain can wash away all the worries and burden…After a walk in the rain, a hot shower…I am ready to go again. ^_~
Bluff man you mentioned?
Sure? You no bluff pea pearl one?
I believe you lah.
Back to the Ah Bengs:
Those who do not like bathing
are called Chao Ah Beng.
@rachel: Then let’s forget the storms that may come or have passed, and simply rejoice now and dance in the refreshing, rejuvenating rain!
@keropokman:
I no bluff pea pearls
Or sea pearls or land pearls wan
Me the Oyster Man —
— and oyster men, see,
Are rather rare oddities
Found only at sea.
I lost track di… what are we haiku-ing about, again? Hahaha…
maybe you too should have run madly out of the office at 5.30 pm, like i did. oh. still smug. hehehehe.
p.s. it would have been a gross mockery of our social system and all that we hold dear in life if you had managed to purchase hp7 tickets yesterday. considering that i took the effort of buying mine online on thursday LAST WEEK :P
p.p.s. wah, your readers are profoundly poetic lah. i think i may have found my kindred spirit in a fellow see hum-lover. to her, i dedicate the following:
Others may chuckle
But love is never fickle
We choose thee, cockle.
Begone, pork knuckle!
Our eyes twinkle and sparkle
Just for thee, cockle.
@Sean: I do not do running madly. When I deign to run, it shall be with grace, like a gazelle… chased by a madly running cannibal-wannabe. Eh.
P.S. Oh I could purchase HP7-P1 tickets yesterday, just not the right time or seats we desired. So, no. You certainly got what you deserved. Bravo. And we shall wait, what, a week or two, when the initial mad dash dies down, then get us the seats we want and enjoy. Yay.
P.P.S. You and GFAD har, one day will be the death of me. Or do I mean the cockle of me. Whatever.
I dread to read what she comes up with as her cockly response to yours. Eww.
speed, not grace, is what’s truly essential in running. the lion might not scamper as gracefully as the gazelle, but the king of the jungle still catches its prey in the end. so yeah, the moral is: be the lion. :D
p.s. truth to be told, i was bored for 60 percent of the movie last night. ever since part 5, there seem to be diminishing returns with the potter movies. i loved the sense of wonder and excitement in the first 3 or 4 installments, but there’s very little magic and energy in this latest one. i suspect i’ll enjoy next month’s ‘chronicles of narnia: the voyage of the dawn treader’ much more…
p.p.s. the world is our cockle (who needs oysters)! but i wonder whether she’s a mangosteen lover too. if so, imagine what remarkable rhymes we could conjure together as an homage to this sweet, pulpy, juicy fruit! :D
@Sean: Or, in your case, EAT the lion? I’m often surprised Eat Drink KL wasn’t renamed Eat Drink Everything. Tee hee.
Which inspires me:
Yes, half a dozen
Of eggs. That’s what Sean had with
His bowls of udon.
Okay, so it’s not lyrical. But bears remembering. You makanophile, you! Hehe.
P.S. Me too. I think the series peaked with Alfonso Cuarón directing the third film. Plus, HP7 doesn’t have Ben Barnes! That’s a definite advantage the Narnia series have over Ms. Rowling’s creation.
P.P.S. Oh no. Cockles AND Mangosteens? Yikes. Will the depravity never end?
Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so6ExplQlaY&feature=related
I can listen to it over & over again.
@jemima: A beautiful song, dear. And yes, sometimes I do just that – kiss the rain. Bliss.
ohh this this:
raindrops falling on my head….
@rokh: You mean the song written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach?
Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
Nothin’ seems to fit
Those raindrops are fallin’ on my head, they keep fallin’
So I just did me some talkin’ to the sun
And I said I didn’t like the way he got things done
Sleepin’ on the job
Those raindrops are fallin’ on my head, they keep fallin’
But there’s one thing I know
The blues they send to meet me won’t defeat me
It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me
Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red
Cryin’s not for me
‘Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin’
Because I’m free
Nothin’s worryin’ me
It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me
Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turnin’ red
Cryin’s not for me
‘Cause I’m never gonna stop the rain by complainin’
Because I’m free
Nothin’s worryin’ me
Since we’re into songs & lyrics about rain.. here’s another link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__aCeZSxSmA&feature=related
Everytime the rain comes down
I close my eyes and listen
I can hear the lonesome sound
Of the sky as it cries
Listen to the rain
Here it comes again
Hear it in the rain
Feel the touch of tears that fall
They won’t fall forever
In the way the day will flow
All things come, all things go
Listen to the rain… the rain
Here it comes again… again
Hear it in the rain… the rain
Late at night I drift away
I can hear you calling
And my name is in the rain
Leaves on trees whispering
Deep blue seas, mysteries
Even when this moment ends
Can’t let go this feeling
Everything will come again
In the sound falling down
Of the sky as it cries
Hear my name in the rain
@jemima: Oh sweet! I didn’t even know there were these many poems and songs about rain! Good golly!
You didn’t???
Well now you know:
http://www.lacarte.org/songs/rain/
:P
@jemima: The site is subtitled “A Virtual Flood of Songs About Rain”, and they do very seriously mean a FLOOD of songs about rain… Omigosh!
It’s Raining Men? Uh, make that It’s Raining Songs About Rain! *chuckles*
let’s hope that when we have our pan mee outing, they’ll allow customization with extra eggs too! :D
p.s. i prefer ben with short hair. so when i watch him in narnia, all i can think is, damnnit, cut that hair already!!!
p.p.s. charming cockles. marvelous mangosteens. depraved durians. see, alliteration has its uses :D
p.p.p.s. forgot to mention earlier that i think chobonaut’s picture is quite a stunning composition. love the angles, the shadows, the texture. the path may be filthy, but the photo is gorgeous! so evocative.
@Sean: Oh for you, I imagine most restaurateurs would happily dish up the entire supply from their friendly neighbourhood egg farm to keep you happy. Hehe.
P.S. Short hair, long hair, it’s the cuteness beneath those locks that matters, no?
P.P.S. Durians are not depraved. Cockles hardly charming, and mangosteens? Let’s not even get started on those puny purple pumpkinees…
P.P.P.S. Aye, and I originally used it for Devil’s post on rainy days and angmohs, also posted last night!
i’m glad u and devil seem to be only moderate egg-eaters. otherwise, our unholy trinity might drive chickens to eggs-tinction! (ok, probably not, but i needed an excuse to say ‘eggs-tinction’) :D
p.s. au contraire. witness exhibit A: http://www.mannythemovieguy.com/images/ben_barnes.jpg and exhibit B: http://nerdvortex.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/ben-barnes-2.jpg … exhibit A screams sexual desirability, exhibit B is a scruffy medieval hippie…
p.p.s. u’re just begging to be kidnapped, tied up and force-fed cockles and mangosteens until u say u love ‘em :D
p.p.p.s. i’m learning that devil’s posts are tough to understand, even after running them through a translator. btw, can u pls ask him to translate the following for me (it’s someone else’s writing). it makes no sense even with google translator. thaaaanks! :D
有一些朋友是不需要怎么去珍惜的，可往往有些人就是不懂这简单的道理，常常目景自扰独自伤心怎么往日的一切不再。
我说倒不如去注意身边那一些可以交心的朋友更好。
但是，我所知道的我所明白的我所懂得的；我却不懂得如何让一些人明白这道理。我想我还是不太会去开解一个人
@Sean: How eggs-tremely eggs-cruciating to eggs-hibit this eggs-aggerated eggs-ample at my eggs-pense!
Hee.
P.S. I repeat: It’s just hair lah.
P.P.S. Maybe if you skip the last part, it wouldn’t seem half as bad, hehe.
P.P.P.S. Sure will. Once he’s up from his usual mid-day nap. Check this space again soon!
@Sean: Okay, here’s my adaptation of Devil’s translation of that Chinese passage above (so it’s not meant to be literal):
Some friends aren’t meant to be appreciated. However sometimes some people don’t understand this concept/principle. That is why they may be unhappy, wondering why they no longer have what they had in the past. Instead, why not take this opportunity to connect with those other friends who deserve our attention?
However, what I know and what I understand – I don’t know how to share these concepts with others. I guess I still am unable to comfort others.
Epitaph of Rumi
‘When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men.’
never knew u loved Rumi….
@vimesh: It all began with a book of Rumi poetry that the Diva gave me for one of my birthdays…
no one seems to care about the water…. that will be brought back to the river or any channel for water treatment…. contaminated or can be treated or not…
@fufu: Err…
Oh we do care about the water. It’s just that the water’s a bit publicity-shy, doesn’t really want the attention.
So, in its stead, we haiku about the people instead. People (well, some anyway) tend not to mind the attention so much. Ahem.
There are six ‘eggs’ in that sentence of yours! Eggs-actly the number I had with my udon! Eggs-ellent! Am I eggs-acerbating the situation? Are u feeling eggs-asperated yet? What can I say, eggs-cept … Eggs-celsior!!! :D
P.S. But if he has such unruly hair on his scalp, who knows how untrimmed he might be on, errmm, other parts of his body :P
P.P.S. I’ll start work on new see-ham recipes immediately. Adding cockles to some of your favorite ingredients (like pumpkin, pan mee and udon) might do the trick. A spooooonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, medicine go down…
P.P.P.S. That probably is a very accurate translation, based on what I know about the writer and his current circumstances. Sad sentiments that he’s expressing though, not sure I’d agree with them…
@Sean: Egg-cept for egg-streme egg-cess and egg-ceptional egg-centricity, I’m not that easily egg-citable.
P.S. Now, I wonder how shall we find out? Hmm.
P.P.S. Eww, and double-eww. Make that endless eww’s.
P.P.P.S. Oh dear. I’m assuming this is a bad thing?
Deep purple mangosteens, blood rare moist cockles,
One sweet and tangy, other fried with noodles,
Both make my heart go wild, both make me sing,
These are a few of my favourite things..
I can see it now – Mangosteen Cheesecake! See Hum Quiche!! With duck eggs!! :D
@gfad: Oh no! This is truly the unholy alliance – of cockles and mangosteens, of Sean/Eat Drink KL and the Girl from Abu Dhabi! Will the atrocities never end??
This is it: Definitely no more poems or haikus this week. Back to normal, lengthy, boring posts… Safer, at any rate.
Course it won’t end. There is a reason as to why they say ‘warm the cockles of my heart’ and not ‘..durian of my heart’ y’know..
Itu see hum ar,
Manyak syiok lar, lu tau ka?
Sama tu manggis..
:D
@gfad: How about “drum the durians of my yum yum”? But then, that may not quite be about food, even if swallowing is involved. Ahem.
See hum tak bagus
Manggis kalo dimakan
Udah tentu “Ewww…”
Okay, that’s my best shot at an Indo-Malay haiku. Sighs.
I was cooking and more dishes popped up in my head!!
See Hum Shooters!
Lamb and See Hum Pie!!
See Hum Kerabu!!
Mangosteen Slushie!
Mangosteen Gâteux!
Mangosteen Salad!!
Oh, the recipes are endless!!!
@gfad: …and the mangosteen-inflicted misery & the see hum-infused sorrow seem to be endless too.
Oh why oh why do both of you torture me so? I am a good person, am I not? *groans*
Of course you’re a good person. That’s why we are sharing good things with you. :D
i should stop egging u on, but wah, i’m now truly tempted to catch a flight to abu dhabi! wait though … can one even find mangosteens in the UAE?!? i hope so! :D
oh, and i already know what to name those see-hum shooters. cockle-sucking cowboys :P
@gfad: Oh you guys are far too generous…
@Sean: One dares not even dare to imagine the mayhem the two of you would cause were you in the same geographic location. The downfall of mankind and civilisation as we know it may well ensue.
And… Cockle-sucking Cowboys? *speechless*
I could haiku but I suck at it so I’m not even going to try right now. :P But every rain-washed street has a story to tell of when it was a little less dreary, and younger.
Also: I will be making Hong Shao Rou today! Would you like some?
Boys, boys.. you will be happy/sad to hear that there are NO see hum in AD. Mangosteens are occasionally flown in, once in a blue moon. Hence my preoccupation with them.
In the words of Roy & Fran:
Yang jauh asyik teringat
Yang dekat tak terpikat
Tak kenal maka tak cinta (Kenny – take note. Go make friend with See Hum)
Cockle-sucking Cowboys!! ROTFLMAO!!!
Listening to 12 days of Christmas now. And imagining how to include in see hum, mangosteens and babi in it.. :D
On the 1st day of Christmas, gfad gave to Kenny..
Kuay teow with see hum for free!
Take it away, Sean.. :D
@Shuku: Anyone can haiku, it’s just a simple 5/7/5 motif to be followed. The trick is keeping the idea behind this simple but not simplistic.
Not sure if I make sense there. Hehe.
Also: Thanks for the offer of Hong Shao Rou! Devil & I will give it a pass this week as we are and will be dining out many times, with cholesterol-and-calorie-laden food beckoning us. Gotta watch our waistlines, haha.
@gfad: Oh dear. That’s three comments in a row from you. I guess it’s been a rather busy day for me today. Well, let’s get cracking at answering them, heh:
1. Abu Dhabi sounds like a very safe place then. No see hum and very little mangosteens. Hooray!
2. Well, it might be one of them cowboys’ fave snacks. Also, ain’t the oysters of the desert simply bull testicles? What is the see hum of the cowboys, then?
3. Oh no.
wow. only u can have a poetic post that begets another poetic post (or comments, rather). but the pic is beautiful :)
@Jun: I’m just fortunate to have very poetic readers, is all. Like yourself, my dear friend. Hehe.