Ten-five

A decade and a half.
For 15 years, the old woman in the shoe, lived in the shoe house,
bringing up a family of young ones.

The old woman looked at the shoe house ...
brimming over with memories.
Of battles fought,  of lessons learnt.
Of heartache and pain.
Of crises, raising the threshold each time.
Of strategic moves, that bore fruit, winning quiet victories.
Of joy and pride, as the young ones grew up,
as they take on leadership.

The old woman hung up her apron.
Time to go for cruise,
to different waters.

The old woman rolled her suitcase to the waiting horse-cart...
...  so  long, farewell!
Auf wiedersehn!

分分离离，团团圆圆

From P to J, from J to P,

changes with every regime.

Like a wedding gown for rent,

alterations with each client.

From P to J, from J to P,

changes in stations, like changing boxes.

From P to J, from J to P,

change's the only constant.

"settled"

"Settled". What a word.
Settled - such finality, such confidence.
Yet, some "settled" are more settled than others.
The "settled" we know is far from settled.
Instead, "settled" hides a volcano building up to an eruption.
Even now, the eruption is still imminent.
Just delayed, for now.
How could it be "settled" when the final product hadn't been done?
How could it be "settled" when the other party was taiji-ing it away?
Rush, rush, rush, turning off the alarm bells, expecting others to settle it.
Instead, leaving a volcano about to erupt.
For others to pick up the pieces. Frantically.

The Little House Tries to Heal

The little house on the plantation.

It tries to heal.

Heal from periods of ineffective chimneys -

one awaiting for wood to be burnt and air to be puffed,

another lying in waiting only to serve Santa Claus.

Oh, for a practical working chimney!

The little house on the plantation.

It tries to heal, heal its ears and heart

from exposure to the whining creaks of the glossy window.

Creak, creak, creak, ad infinitum,

went the glossy window when the light wasn't on it.

A glossy window, not quite suitable for the little house on the plantation.

The little house on the plantation, it tries to heal.

Now with a working chimney, windows and doors.

The stove in the centre of the house,

working hard to pump warmth throughout the house.

Finally in sync.

Just awaiting the last window pane.

Hopefully it will fit in well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kindness Backlash

The soft heart, the kind heart,

agreeing to requests fervently argued.

Requests from the Elf of the Tiered Garden,

arguing for the Good Day Gnome to manage the Tiered Garden.

"He's good," insisted the Elf of the Tiered Garden,

"and I don't want to teach a new gnome all over again."

And so the kind heart relented.

Thus the Good Day Gnome ended up managing the more challenging Tiered Garden,

while the Next Gnome had the easier job of managing the Flat Garden,

and yet pocketed more gnome dollars.

Over time, the Good Day Gnome got more and more disgruntled,

upset over the more work needed at the Tiered Garden,

yet earning less for it.

While the Elf that he looked up to, disappeared from the scene.

Disgrunted more and more, manifesting in long breaks and delayed delivery of work,

disregard for instructions - chargeable offences all.

What a backlash for the kind heart!

=_=

the Mice and the Clock

Hickory dickory dock,

the Mice strolled up the Clock.

Up above,

the birds hard at work,

already picking worms.

Elsewhere,

the bees hard at work,

busy picking nectar.

Hickory dickory dock,

the Clock struck one,

the Mice ran down,

down to their fave haunt

for succulent tasty food.

Hickory dickory dock,

the Clock struck two - two, two.

The Mice came strolling back,

stopping for a tea or coffee,

admiring the Sun blazing above.

Hickory dickory dock,

tick tock, tick tock.

The Clock chimed six ...

... and the Mice came racing down the Clock.

Like F1 track, no less.

Gone in a jiffy.

Hickory dickory dock,

the Clock and its watchers.

By the Light ...

By the light of the tealights. Glowing in the dark. Serenity after the earlier excitement. Of guessing games and forfeiting. Raised voices as each avoided the penalties of the games. Renewed energy after the BBQ food served. Further energised by durian (mao san wang and D24), strawberry-banana cake and root beer.

团团圆圆

The chicken, steamed and patiently marinated with wine overnight. Prawns, so fresh and red. Oh so succulent and delicious. A good starter to the night's spread from the hotplate and the BBQ.

soya and soya

Soya and soya bean, all things soya. Together they are, one more time.

together apart

A table full of dishes, sushi, sashimi, tempura and all.

A table - all chatting away.

An appearance of togetherness.

A table full of dishes and bentos.

Yet of late, a chasm down the middle.

Like the pair of chopsticks when split.

Together, yet apart.

The little Farmers

The little Farmers, each tendering his own part of the farm.
The little Farmers,
with seeds and fertlisers, to help them grow their plots.

The little Farmers, each tendering his plot.
Some grasp the opportunities, patiently plant the seeds, and nurture them.
Ignore the opportunities; oblivious to them, some are.
Take up the opportunities, some do, but nurture less than carefully, delivering below premium outcomes.

The little Farmers.
Only one perspective, some see.
Discord at times, triggered by miscommunication on fertile ground of mistrust,
accelerated by misunderstanding.
Good people at heart, but differing perspectives, and less-than-friendly whines.

Different skills, different aptitudes.
How powerful the team, if all forces combine.
Cliched it may be, but ...
... united they stand, divided and there be less than optimal results.

Building on Foundation

A house, albeit a modest one, painstakingly built.

With paths and steps, carved with heart and soul.

A house, fiercely guarded against wolves in sheep's skin; united as one.

Unity, how key, to keep up the foundation.

Unity, how critical, to keep the place going.

Apples

Apples, red apples, gleaming and healthy,

as far as the eyes can perceive.

Apples, all good;

rotten ones already purged.

Apples, one a day, keeps the doctor away, they say.

Time to rest; time to grow

Another Sat of rest.

Thankful one is.

Yet equally thankful one is

for Sat with work.

Like an entrepreneur spotting opportunities,

like a businessman seeing openings and potential,

Sat mean business,

the more, the more business, the more growth.

Is it time to rest on the laurels

and turn away Sat business?

Alas no.

The business is never done; the building continues.

创业难， 守业更难。

beans from the same plant

From a Chinese poem ...

煮豆燃豆萁

豆在釜中泣

本是同根生

相煎何太急

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beans boil over beanstalk fire
The beans cry in the pot:
We are born from the same root
Why are you so anxious to burn me?

Quotable Quotes

Some interesting quotable quotes ...

"Hard work spotlights the character of people:

some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses,

and some don't turn up at all."
- Sam Ewig

"Real integrity is doing the right thing,

knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not."
- Oprah Winfrey

"If people around you aren't going anywhere,

if their dreams are no bigger than hanging out on the corner,

or if they're dragging you down,

get rid of them.

Negative people can sap your energy so fast,

and they can take your dreams from you, too."
- Earvin Johnson

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work."
- Vincent Lombardi
"Individual glory is insignificant when compared to achieving victory as a team."
- Dot Richardson

http://quotations.about.com/cs/inspirationquotes

Presents

Presents - there're all kinds.
Some for friends to show that you care.
Some for friends to celebrate their joy.
Some for associates with whom there're good professional relations.
Usually easy to give,
chosen with care and sincerity.

Presents - some are difficult to give.
The most difficult being the obligatory kind.

Obliged to give, but devoid of heartfelt warmth.
Obliged to give, but undeserved of appreciation.
Usually we don't give if the other doesn't deserve thanks.
But at times we do, out of obligation.
How difficult it is - what to choose, how to express without being hypocritical.

Why obliged to give? At times we wonder.

How True Be They

Pretty flowers, how true they be?

Colourful and bright, how truthful they be?

Poison on their stems? White fungal spots they be.

Poison for unwary ones perhaps?

Once in, spreading like cancer,

all the way to the brain and the mind.

Be vigilant, one must be.

Chasms they strive to create,

breaking up teams,

with different stories to different team members,

sowing mistrust among the team,

planting poison in the minds of those above.

Pesticides, quickly quickly.

Kill these malicious ones; stop them in their tracks!

Fiends

Thud, thud, thud.
The footsteps of the Old Lady,
as she headed home.
Thud, thud, thud,
a tad heavier than usual.

The Old Lady walked on.
Past the little boy blue,
busy shooting poisoned darts
at his own playmates,
impervious to the observation
of the Old Lady.
Cataracts she might have,
but see she still could, and very clearly.

The Old Lady walked on,
overcome by a wave of melancholy,
heart pained by the poison shot at her brood.

The Old Lady walked on,
straightening her shoulders squarely,
gamed to meet the challenges.

The Old Lady walked on,
saddened by the wish of one to leave,
counting her blessings on the rest who stay,
committed and loyal to the cause.

The Old Lay walked on, purposefully.
For adversity one must overcome,
and emerge stronger and better,
better to fight the fiends,
the petty-hearted and dishonourable ones.
Forge on, we say!

Bonding and Cooking

At a quiet rustic corner, a cluster of black-and-white apartment blocks,

an old association building turned into classy Italian restaurant,

a stone's throw from the Biopolis.

Follow the red cement steps, up the stairs,

to the apartment.

Cooking fave dishes, many hands, chopping, slicing, preparing,

bonding as a team.

Dining together in camaraderie, enjoying the fruits of labour.