TOP prompt - Regional poetry

North/South Divide

PHOO YING - WOMAN
“If you stay long time in Thailand,
You must to learn speak Thai
If you want happy ending
No promplem; just sabai, sabai.

Thai lady speak good English
When learn so high, at school.
She very like your rangwedge
And have jai yen – that’s ‘cool’.

She have good teacher Angkrit,
Up-country, in Isan.
Not only khao nieow – ‘sticky rice’,
Also 'homework' – that’s karn barn.”

MAN – PHOO CHAI
“I understand you, clearly,
But here’s what’s wrong with you.
You say things back-to-front, e.g.
For ‘your friend’, you say, ‘my friend you’.

Now, here’s what I learnt, just this week,
But something is amiss
You never explained that Isan and Thai
Are different. Look at this!

I’ll say the Isan version first,
And then translate, to Thai.
You’ll see just what my problem is,
But can you explain why?

Khop khun lai derr, means khop kuhn krap,
Bo penyang dor, means mai pen rai.
Koi mark chao, that means pom rak khun
Chao si pai sai, is kuhn ja pai nai?

Thank-you very much, never mind,
I love you, where are you going?
Mai mi pen har; no problem,
My Thai has started flowing!”

North/South Divide II

Show me the way, I think I’m lost
Someone give me some direction
I’m prepared to pay any cost
Just to reach my destination

Co-ordinates were very crude
Maps helped me out to some degree
What’s longitude and latitude?
All points north are clear to see

But it was south I headed for
A to Z index underneath
The maps I’d spread out on the floor
Drawn to scale; some in relief

My compass wouldn’t save the day
It lost me before I started
I couldn’t read it anyway
My route was not clearly charted

I found an ethnic take-away
I bought a curry and some rice
Sat down, ate it, couldn’t say
I liked the meal; it wasn’t nice

I chose the route I thought was best
The taste of the east was in my mouth
My confidence was going west
My northern mistrust of the south

Made me question my instruction
It’s never taken me this long
Usually there’s no disruption
This time something was going wrong

I saw a note for my attention
Opened it up and had to stare
Somebody forgot to mention
‘Thomas Place’ is now ‘Thomas Square’

Those ‘nice’ Southerners were to blame
Not the team back at the depot
Why did they have to change the name?
Just so Northerners couldn’t go?

So It Goes

Originally posted for -Top Symbolic

Revived for - Sunday Scribblings Scandalous

COUNTDOWN

Light Years ago, at ten, it commenced.
We sensed a wave of optimism;
rode the rapids at nine; relished
the prosperity. Nobody could
have predicted the severity
of the decline beginning at eight.

We hate the memories it evokes.

We lost all track of time at seven,
but the countdown clock was still ticking,
stubbornly sticking to its schedule

Dark Ages ago, at six…or five,
barely alive, it began – to gnaw
at our bones, asking for direction

Voices we listened to, gave advice,
forced us to face difficult choices.
Four…three…two…it was all but finished.

Diminished responsibility?
A lack of hands-on experience?
We feel it was inevitable.

The final digit; one. No appeal.

Zero; times up. All things; happy, sad,
good or bad, must come at last, to rest.
Our once, twenty-twenty clairvoyance,
and all those blessings we counted,
amounted to mockery; bluffing,
and we got our just deserts…nothing

TOP prompt - Novels

S O L D O U T!
DUE TO DIMINISHED RESPONSIBILITY

The bookstore owner blamed the publisher
The publisher blamed the agency
The agency blamed the author
The author just blamed himself
Who could blame the reader
For his urgency?
Needs that cover
On his shelf
Fiction?
Fact!

Allsorts Of Isan

Late arrival for MPTR Mar 10 2009


PRA YAI

Gazing forth, across the earth, from high
Stands a monument to Buddhist Faith; Pra Yai
To his rear, the people of Khon Kaen
Over to his left, it’s Chaiyaphum and then
Udon Thani kneels at his right hand
In reverence; voicing the respect of Thailand

Before him, Loei and Nongbualamphu
Receive the careful attention of his view
Pra Yai symbolises Lord Buddha
In his presence, his loyal pilgrims shudder
The hopes and fears of all the nation
Are offered in prayer and meditation

Gratitude for the harvest; the rain
For the relief of suffering and of pain
Food for the hungry, strength to the weak
A fitting focal point for the blessed meek
Supports the infirm, tends to the old
The pious poor, the emotionally cold

The waters below, gently lapping
Reflect the subtle sound of one hand clapping
Prepared to unleash their potential
Energy; electricity; essential
Lighting our progress through the ferment
Physical guide; practical enlightenment

No tree to shade his contemplation
Deflect his wisdom, distract concentration
His sacrament of inner vision
Available via the conscious decision
To follow the example of his life
Grants untold pleasures, and the absence of strife

More Beautiful

WI Impulse
There’s Only One

Persistent police pester prolific
Petty pilferers
Tactics teach teenage ticket touts to take
Shelter from the rain
Hushed whispers flush festering frustrations
From wind-swept faces
Senior citizens sway in the swell
Flags flap, slap and clap
Chattering children, shivering shyly
Sweep to the shrine
Wild, windy, wet weekend weather, welcomes
Faithful followers
Clinging cautiously, clustered companions
Combat cold and crowd,
Willingly waiting, anticipating
The Saturday scene
Battling gangs, bearing grudges, bond and group;
Banish grievances
Sympathies merge in single-minded song
‘There’s only one…’…what?
One spirit; one voice; one passion…one love…
…The Beautiful Game

Love's me not

Dear John

I
Am
Not
Your
Loyal
Friend,
Partner,
Anything.
Temporary
Engagement,
Permanently
Extinguished.
Disappearance
Understandable;
Unobjectionable.

BREAKING UP

“Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Smith?”
“Speaking; who’s that? Mr. Rogers?”
“Pardon? This line’s not too clear”
“I said, ‘are you James Rogers’?”
“Yes, I am. Can you hear me now?”
“Loud and clear; what is it?”
“I’m sorry; I couldn’t hear”
“I said, ‘what do you want’?”
“I need to ask for help”
“OK, name it; fire away”
“My wife has left me”
“Gosh! What can I do?”
“What did you say?”
“How do I assist?”
“Can’t hear you”
“Assistance?”
“Miss her so”
“Pardon me?”
“Miss her”
“Pardon?”
“My God!”
“What?”
“She…”
“OK?”
“I…”
…
..
.

TOP prompt - Smoke and Mirrors

ROUGH RIFF DEMO FROM VAPO…WHERE?

AVAILABLE TOMORROW!!!

* NEW!!! - ‘No Risk - More SD-Ram’!
** ‘Smart’ Rock Music Simulator!
*** Number one with debut single!

Satisfaction guaranteed
Easy operation
Simply ‘speak’ your composition
Into the vocal attachment

(* Contains ‘Smoke and Mirrors’)
(** Lyrics not included)
(*** Subject to vocal restrictions)

NOT CONVINCED??? CHECK THE TEN-STEP GUIDE!!!

↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

INTRO

1. (Hi-hat)
This is it, this is it, this is, this is, this is it
2. (Floor toms)
Down daddy, down daddy, down, down, down daddy
3. (Lead guitar)
Do-oo you-oo choo-oose to-oo
U-oose new-oo blue-oo shoes
How I howl wild woes woes wild wild woes
Howl a while woes wild wild woes woes wild
4. (Rhythm guitar)
Haha haha haha haha, haha haha, haha haha
Haha haha haha haha, hahaha
5. (Lead guitar)
Why-ee now-ow-ow-ow-owww

VERSE(S)

6/7. (Rhythm guitar/(Snare/Hi-hat)
Laughin’ lovin’, lovin’ laughin’ (Sit down sit down)
Lovin’ laughin’, laughin’ lovin (Down sit down sit)
Lovin’ laughin’, laughin’ lovin’ (Down down sit sit)
Laughin’ lovin’, lovin’ laughin’ (Down sit down sit)
(Repeat ad-lib)

LEAD BREAK/ENDING

8. (Lead Guitar)
Grrrowwll
Grrowl…grrowl-grrowl-grrowl-grrowl
How I - howl wild - woes wild - woes wild woes
Howl a while woes wild - wild woes wild woes wild
Grrrowll – grrowll - grrowll
9. (Rhythm guitar)
Gasp-gasp-gasp-gasp, gasp-gasp-gasp-gasp
Gasp-gasp-gasp-gasp, gasp-gasp-gasp-gasp
Gaaasp
10. (Lead guitar - to feedback)
Knee-eelin’ down now - kneeeel
Shrie-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee…ee…eek…growl…

Beautiful

Not Cricket

It knows no boundaries
The scoreboard’s straight forward
Concentrated action
Beginning to end
It’s like a religion
All over the country
Services celebrated
Every weekend
It’s never over
But it’s often wide
It’s played on a pitch
Eleven a side
Fours are quite common
Sixes are rare
Singles more often
Sometimes a pair
It’s not called ‘Not Cricket’
It has its own name
More grave than life or death
It’s a funny old game
You guessed it, it’s Football
Not 'soccer' or 'ball'
It’s man-made, in England
Supported by all


Manchester (La La La)

The only team in Manchester
Played in the FA Cup
One year, when I was just a lad
And bothered turning up

The third round draw took us away
To dodgy London Town
Playing against Watford
Not exactly the jewel in the crown

The local boys from ‘MCD’
Were CITY, through and through
They hired a dodgy mini-bus
From Dodgy Dave, a blue

It took us hours to make the trip
Through deep, mid-winter snow
Johnny ‘Nesh’, complained all the way
Did he really want to go?

The Beech Road Boys were there in force
At least a dozen strong
“You must have come in a taxi!”
They taunted, with their song

It was in the days of standing
The terraces were full
Of CITY boys, who made more noise
The ‘home’ fans sounded dull

The ‘home’ fans were confined to seats
As CITY took the ground
Three sides went up as CITY scored
One never made a sound

And when the final whistle blew
One goal had stolen the show
And those ten thousand CITY fans
Returned home in the snow

TOP - Voice prompt

Finding Our Voices

I

Public speaking was not my strength
My vocals refused to carry
I coaxed my chords until, at length
Pitch and Tone agreed to marry
At the top of my voice, I felt
I sounded like somebody else
But I shouted out loud to see
If people would listen to me
I couldn’t believe the effect
As the words issued from my lips
Despite all the rises and dips
Though I had nothing fresh to say
A new dimension to my range
The reaction was rather strange
Had they felt intimidated,
Provided the correct response,
Because they felt obliged to act?
Or was it imagination?
Quietly, I dwelt on the fact;
It’s all in the presentation

II

Why do you take sincerity so negatively?
Is it just insecurity?
Or

do you do what you do for your desired reaction?

If that’s the case, here it is;
nice!

Inspired by encouragement, go ahead, give us more.

Try to make it ‘nice’, like last time,
please.
Now we have your attention, try to understand us.
It’s the things you do that inspire,
so
we find we have to state the thoughts they provoke in us,
but you seem to want only praise.
Why?
Praise and platitude, as close as brother and sister;
pay a visit to their cousin;
truth.
If we’re making this concept hard for you to swallow,
chew it over, then swallow your
pride.
Don’t you know, every thought, every word, every action
you perform, displays a wisdom
rare?
Your actions, especially, speak louder than mere words.
Please allow the words we use, their
voice.

Mother's Day

Because of Mum

I was small,
Having a ball;
Learning things
That growing brings
To all kids,
Making their bids
In their lives;
The over five’s.

Thanks to Mum
I could become
A hero;
Someone to know.

I remember
One September
In the park,
Making my mark.

Not at first,
I was the worst;
Small and scared,
Just not prepared.

Six years old,
It felt so cold.
Mum close by
Lit up the sky.

Mother said
“Don’t be afraid
Don’t be scared.”
She always cared.

Reaching out
I had to shout
“Give me hope!”
I couldn’t cope.
It was just
A case of trust,
Confidence;
Need of patience

Instead I
Began to cry.
Mum was near,
Dispelling fear.

Typical;
Theatrical;
That was me;
A big baby.

“Try again
There’ll be no pain,
Only joy;
You’re a big boy.”

Melody;
A symphony
In my ears,
Despite my tears.

With a smile,
After a while
Courage came.
She called my name.
“Get through it;
You can do it.
Just be brave;
It’s what you crave.”

Always right,
Just like at night,
In my bed;
My dreams were fed.

“Now you know;
I told you so.
Now you’ll like
Riding your bike.”

Filled with pride,
I used to ride
Every day,
And in my way
I thanked her;
Gave her laughter.
Not a word,
But she still heard.

She’d cured me;
Made me happy.

Saddle sore,
I cried no more.

Close Your Eyes

THE FAT SIDE OF THE OCEAN
(TOP Prompt Get Surreal)

They tell me that the ocean
Is not just wet and flat
In fact, it’s cold and deep as well
But everyone knows that

But what about the ocean
That Mermaids sing about?
It’s unlike any other one
Of that, I have no doubt

I don’t mean the Atlantic
Pacific, or the rest
This ocean that I know about
Is neither East nor West

This ocean has a FAT side
And not just ‘near and far’
But which side do you mean, my son?
Can we get there by car?

The FAT side of this ocean
Accessible by boat
Is ninety million miles away
Space travellers take note!

The sun is slightly further
If you go the other way
It takes no time to reach this place
But you can’t go there by day

I went there, once, at bedtime
And swam from shore to shore
The strangest fish I’d ever seen
Directed me, and more

A Mermaid swam before them
And led them with her song
She had a soft and gentle voice
That carried through the throng

She sang of the ocean’s FAT side
Explaining to the Earth
That ocean’s only get this FAT
In order to give birth

The FAT side of the ocean
Came into view at dawn
With one last heave, one final push
A brand new DAY was born


Dream

Recollections of a place
Open country; open range
Given to me by God’s grace
Sleep induced reminders; how strange

Memory’s pleasant neighbourhood
Open doors and open hearts
The safety of my childhood
The point at which nostalgia starts

Beautiful environment
Open minds and open fires
Security, enchantment
A fusion of dreams and desires

Tranquillity all around
Open eyes and open arms
Comfortable, soothing sound
Reverie dismisses all qualms

Living luxury landscape
Open fields and open skies
Such a relaxing escape
A way of life that never dies

Everything; thought provoking
Open reason; open rhyme
Feel-good factor evoking
The adventure of a night-time

Live and Learn

WI The Return, Parallel Universe, Legend

It's an older post, but seems to fit all 3 prompts.

There's a PARALLEL UNIVERSE right in front of our eyes - the mirror.

Mirror, Mirror

There is a well known saying
You must have heard it
“If you really want to know
Look in the mirror”

But mirrors are confusing
Left is on the right
Is it all the wrong way round?

Are we to assume
Opposites do not attract?
And does ‘yes’ mean ‘no’?
Is something wrong really right?
Is bad really good?

They never make me look slim
Athletic, handsome
So they seem to have that right
Much to my distress

But something I need to know
Not just me, I’m sure
If images are back to front
Does the same apply
To everything? What about
The lies they don’t tell?

Grandparents are living LEGENDS - and their wisdom is LEGENDARY

Nok Noi Si khieo
(SMALL GREEN BIRD)

In Thailand, as in places round the world
Education can be passed by word of mouth
Lessons are not learned while just at school
The same is true in North as well as South

One evening, as we sat to eat a meal
A bright young girl, the daughter of a guest
Noticed a bird that flew into the house
And put her old grandmother to the test

“Khun Yai, nok noi si khieo, nee, shue arai?”
What do we call this miniature green bird?
‘Yai’ – grandmother, looked at the child and spoke
She asked the girl, as though she hadn’t heard

“Arai na look?” What’s that you want to know?
The girl looked her grandmother in the eye
“I want to know the name of this green bird”
“I know that, girl, but let me ask you why”

“If I can tell my teacher, she’ll be proud.
She’ll put me at the top place in her class.”
“Dek ying, thammai?” The old girl had to know
Young girl, why? Gran thought she could let it pass

Left arm across her chest, right hand to chin
Grandmother thought about it for a while
Then slapping both hands down against her knees
She looked up with a knowing nod and smile

“Dek ying, nok noi nee, shue yang nee - dieo”
Granddaughter, this small bird is called – hang on
She braced herself and passed on what she knew
“Nok noi, si khieo” - Small green bird – Wisdom’s a con!!

Never admit your age

Rescheduled for MPTR 02.03.09

A Pack of Cigs,

A Pack of Lies,
&
A Barrel of Fun

Was it the same, when you were young?
You had to be the correct age
To do the things you wanted to do
Didn’t it just fill you with rage?

Like going to the match, you’d think
You just turn up, support your team
But even simple things in life
Are not as easy as they seem

Queuing up to get in the ground
The click of the turnstiles beckon
You only want to see the game
Not as simple as you reckon

At seventeen, with baby face
I only want to pay half fare
So I queue up with the juniors
It was cheating, but who’s to care?

A pack of cigs in my pocket
Inside the gate, police are perched
I thought I knew what I should say
When it was my turn to be searched

“What’s all this then? How old are you?”
The copper asked me, to my face
“I’m just sixteen,” I lied to him
“I’ve a dilemma, in that case

Do you want to lose the ciggies?
Or go next door and pay full price?”
He had me, bang to rights, of course
“I’m only fourteen” I rolled the dice

He tossed the packet on a pile
It must have been a metre high
Hundreds of other ‘kids’ caught out
Not the only one then, was I?

Going home, we all took the bus
An inspector got on to check
All the passengers had tickets
I was sitting on the top deck

Armed with a double agenda
He took my ticket in his hand
And asked me, “Son, how old are you?”
“Fifteen,” I lied; he took a stand

He said “So when’s your birthday, son?”
I told him “May the fifteenth, sir”
At least I’d given him the right date
But he wanted to know “What year?”

By now, everyone was staring
But I just looked him in the eye
And with a grin, told him the truth
“It’s every year, until I die”

The sad inspector didn’t smile
He just continued with his job
And said; no hint of irony
“Show me the proof, or shut your gob”

When we were young, we only wished
We could be older, more clever
But the fun we had pretending
Will live in our minds forever

Now we’re older, wiser, closer
To drawing our old age pension
We wish we weren’t ‘a certain age’
That number we never mention

Romance - A Totally Optional Prompt

LOVE SONG

Is our love just about romance and sex?
Or is there something else that goes with it?
Heartbreak, disappointment, for a start
Hardship, difficulty, things that don’t fit

Frustration is another obstacle
Fashion trends, a characteristic
Other people’s inappropriateness
And opinions are never realistic

Hazards, such as taking things too far
Too fast, will lead to emptiness and doubt
‘Wham bam, thank-you ma’am’, that’s not for me
I’d rather pass it by and go without

But when I only loved you from afar
Afraid my love was futile, unrequited
It must be you who were blind, and not just love
Reciprocated love got me excited

If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t care
I wouldn’t take the time to self-assess.
The questions that are always on my mind
Wouldn’t see the light of day, if I cared less

Observations

Re-routed for Monday Poetry Train Revisited 23.02.09


FANTASTIC JOURNEY

The terminal; workstation
The writers frustration
Awaiting thought's arrival
En route to survival
Deprived of sleep
Deadlines to keep
He's one of the toilers
The midnight oilers
Twitching and dribbling
Waking and scribbling
Fragmented dreams
Condense, become themes
Forming the seams
The robust beams
That support continuity
Inspire ingenuity
Ensuring lucidity
Correcting stupidity
Perfecting the presentation
For the reader's imagination
To board transportation
Journey to a destination
Unlike any other:
The world of the lover;
Deceivers outwitted;
Crimes committed;
Nations at war;
An open door
To welcome the Aliens;
Clean-bowl the Australians;
Find ancient pottery;
Win the national lottery;
Whatever your fantasy
Just take a glance and see
Or read between the lines
Enter the field of mines
That when exploded
You'll find are loaded
With all the devices
The virtues, the vices
That expand the mind
Allow you to find
The knowledge you seek
On your quest for the unique