Res's Writing and Poetry: September 2012

Sunday, 30 September 2012

"Old Charlie"

My old sarong's faded

But my Viet Cong pyjamas

Are still going strong

Old Charlie ~ he always was

Damn near indestructible

"Gandhara Buddha"

Gandhara Buddha

On a lucky red necklace

His hand on my heart

Gandhara Buddha

His hand resting on my chest

His smile in my heart

Gandhara Buddha

Hanging around my neck

His wisdom in my heart

Hopefully!

Thanks to Dr Gabi Greve San

For the inspiration

Saturday, 29 September 2012

"Bugis Street"

Old Bugis Street was quite a sight

With acetylene lamps burning bright

Tables and chairs from end to end

Where you could meet and greet a friend

And order food from any stall

Those cooks all at your beck and call

Sharks Fin Soup, Thousand Year Eggs

And strange things done to chicken legs

Nasi Goreng, satay, saffron rice

Octopus and Tiger Prawns so nice

Tiger beer and Anchor too

San Miguel, now there's a brew

So when all the bars of Singapore

Switched off their lights and locked the door

You could still eat and drink all night

And Bugis Street set my heart alight

There were Lady-boys and Chinese Whores

And sailors in from foreign shores

Bush pilots resting from their flights

And soldiers resting from their fights

Rubber tappers from Malaya way

Tin miners down in town to stay

And spotless children playing tic-tac-toe

And winning - watch your money go

There'd be smugglers resting from the sea

And traders in from far Araby

Ginseng dealers trading fair

You'd find all sorts of commerce there

Gun runners just in from the isles

Soldiers from the rank and files

Young ladies from the Embassies

Doing just about what they please

Pirates, pimps and taxi drivers

Royal Marines and pearl divers

All the flotsam of a great sea port

Gathered there to take their sport

Family and friends would come and meet

Right there in what was Bugis Street

Bulldozed now - and it don't seem right

For Bugis Street was my delight

Photographs borrowed from the web. If they offend any copyright

contact me and I shall remove them

Friday, 28 September 2012

"Singapore Annie"

“Singapore Annie”

Singapore Annie

Was eighty if a day

And a hard life

Had written it's story

Upon her raddled face

She'd graciously sit

And accept a drink

From guys on Bugis Street

Among the beautiful

Lady-boys

And the smart

Spotless kids

Who'd clean one's shoes

Or play tic-tac-toe

For money

And always

Eventually win!

Annie earned her way

By hailing Mercedes taxis.

She wanted her special friends

To ride home in style.

And the drivers and her friends

Paid her a commission

When she knew you well

She'd coyly slide the hem

Of her cheongsam

Up her aged leg

And show a tattoo

A Highland Soldier

Painted upon her thigh.

Then from her handbag

She'd carefully take

A letter, much mended

With sticky stamp borders

It was dated long before

World War Two.

Then she'd ask one

To read the letter to her.

She'd sit with the glitter

Of tears

In her ancient eyes

As one read the words

Of a Soldier

Long dead.

Who had
Been enamoured
Of her beauty
And obviously
Loved her dearly

Who says that
An Old Whore
Has no heart?

Copyright © Res JFB 28th September 2012

Thursday, 27 September 2012

"Young Eyes"

Goddess grant nothing

Will sully that look of trust

In her sweet young eyes

Photo:- Sikh Tailor's Daughter. Brunei Town, early -- mid '60's.

"Cool Breeze"

Cool breeze

Brings autumn to my room

The Goddess smiles

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

"My Honoured House Guests"

People run through rain

The dogs and I warm and dry

My honoured house guests

These are Cody (top) and Jake (bottom) belonging to my son and daughter-in-law.

They have come to stay for their holidays.

My poor son and bride
They only get to go to Egypt
I get the doggies

"Cool Breath of My Skin"

Cool breath on my skin

Autumn steals into my room

The curtains tremble

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

"Who Am I?"

I have noticed

Over the years

Whatever you wake up with

Whatever state of health

Or mind

Whatever advantages

You may have

Whatever shortcomings

These are the tools

Unequal though they be

With which you

Must face the day.

Whatever day you wake up to

Fine or foul

Hot or cold

Peace or war

Pain or gain

Challenge

Or tribulation

Captivity or

Freedom

This is YOUR day

It's how you handle it

That determines

Who you are

Not whether you

Win or lose

But if you tried

If you did the

Decent thing

If you helped

Instead of hindered

If you praised

Rather than cursed

If you loved

Rather than hated

Did your best

And not your worst!

If you have seen

Every member

Of your species

As Sister or Brother

And Race or religion
Or colour as just

The icing on the cake

Little variations

That make Brother

And Sister

Interesting

To each other

Not different

Who am I?

I'm just one of the crowd

Who am I?

I'm just one of US!

Res giving a talk on Trees to some School Kids

"The Pale Hands of the Goddess"

The lily opens

The pale Hands of the Goddess

Holding a Golden Heart

Monday, 24 September 2012

"Lao Tzu"

Confucius he say

"Given a few more years

Of life to finish my study

Of the Book of Changes

And I may be free from great errors!"

Just goes to show

What a Big-head

Confucious was!

Lao Tzu smiled

And whispered

"The beginning of all things

Lies still in the beyond,

In the form of ideas

Yet to become real"

We both smiled

And walked on

Arm in arm.

Playing Ping-pong

With ideas of Love

Xiao Gao Jiao, Little Longhorn,

Munched contentedly

On fresh grass and water chestnuts

I'd gathered for him

Kind brown eyes liquid

With loving wisdom

Too slow and deep

For me to understand.

"When will you get to the West

Master?" I asked.

"When can I expect to see you

Riding down Causwayhead in Penzance,

On your water buffalo?"

The Old Man smiled

Put a finger to his lips,

"Ah you Westerners," he said fondly,

"Better to live in wonder

Than just wondering!"

With a twinkle in his eye,

He squeezed my arm and said,

"Little Brother, if you thought less

And felt more, you'd know

I'm already there with you!"

The passage in italics made by Confucious is from his Analects

The passage in italics made by Lao Tzu is from the Book Of Changes. The I Ching

"Elephant"

Elephant all dressed up

For a festival... Dreaming

Of the next sugar cane

Kathmandu Nepal

"Swelling"

When you can HEAR

Your feet SWELLING

Over the hum of the computer

You know you've been

Writing too many

Haiku

Time to put

One's feet

Don't laugh

I'm not a

Footballer

We Old

South China Seas

Hands

Are entitled to

Wear a sarong

When the feeling takes us

These were my feet

When I was

A younger man

Before oedema

And medications

Raised their ugly heads!

And these are the feet
Of an older man.
Still wearing the sarong though!

"Médecins Sans Frontières"

Taking care to where

It is needed most... Angels

Médecins Sans Frontières

"Kuan Yin and Lao Tzu"

Give me wise men's words

And the Goddess of Mercy

What more could I need

Pulled by Kuan Yin's gentle hand

The voice of Lao Tzu calling

"Dogs"

There are times when dogs

Are ready for anything

And times when they're NOT

Sunday, 23 September 2012

"Water Aid"

I have clean water

I give that others may drink

Free from fear

"My Old Lathe"

Up in the attic

My old lathe now sits dreaming

Of REVOLUTIONS!

Rocking Horse droppings

Collect on the attic floor

Woodworm's detritus

"Door"

Staining my front door

After 10 years non-smoking

Brown stained fingers again

Saturday, 22 September 2012

"Star Crossed Lovers"

Star crossed lovers

A broken willow plate

Even the bamboos weep

Listening to Leonard
Five discs running back to back
Happy Birthday ~ Friend

I'm richer for knowing you
I've shared you joys and sorrows

You bought honey
And tears and shared them with us
And we have loved you

And certainly always will
Poet Laureate to us all

Hallelujah