Friday, September 30, 2011

A Cowboy


My own sketch of soft pastel on an A4 dark sketching paper
I tried to catch up with some sketching these few days. I did  a colorful bird and a stalk of aloe vera. They remained unfinished. Hurriedly I did this black and white as an alternative.

Ruggedly handsome

Hat slung to the back
Entered the saloon,‘give me..…
The crowd shuddered..…’milk!..’

Submitted for Haiku Heights # 88 (prompt of own choice)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Champ II

Picture Credit: From Google images

Ali! Ali! Ali!

Shashi  invited postings with a limerick offering. 
Here is on the same theme as my previous posting.

Even at the pre-fight joint weighing-in
He would come swinging and ranting
He gave accurate predictions
Of his opponent’s derelictions
As they fall from grace to the ground reeling

Inspired by Purple Treehouse's  for a limerick (Week3 Sept 21- Oct 02)
Picked by Jingle as an example of a Limerick in Gooseberry Gardens

The Champ

Image1 : Ali

Image2 : Ali couldn't contain himself upon defeating Sonny Liston for the World's Heavyweight Championship title in 1964
(Picture Credit: From Google images)

Apologies! I had earlier posted this in Haiku Heights for prompt 'poised'. But this is not a haiku. I had since withdrawn it. As an afterthought I'm submitting it again for the next prompt 'charm'.   This time with a haiku below to make it proper.

A phenomena
Charmed millions, living legend
‘I am the greatest’

Ali! Ali! Ali!
In 2008 his 60th birthday
Celebrated in a very big way
By the whole country
A sporting celebrity
Sportsman of the Century
Ali!  Ali!  Ali!

As Cassius Clay at the Rome Olympics in 1960
Won the Gold in the light-heavy
But didn’t keep it forever
Flung in disgust into the Ohio River
When refused service on his return
From an all white restaurant
Ali! Ali! Ali!

In 1964, wrested the Heavyweight crown
When he whupped Sonny Liston
Poised for fame with the very first
With a cry of ‘I’m the Greatest!
‘The Louisville Lips’ predicting
With uncanny accuracy the round
When opponents would hit the ground
He won  and lost the title 3 times
A feat not ever repeated again***
Ali! Ali! Ali!

The World’s Heavyweight  bouts
Since then were remembered easily
By those pulverized, pummeled and thumbed
All his prized trophies   
When he ‘floated like a butterfly
And stung like a bee’
Ali! Ali! Ali

Joined Nation of Islam in 1964
Just a slight blight on his career
Changed his name to Muhammad Ali
But accepted by the fraternity thereafter
Refused the draft in 1967
‘Ain’t got nothin’ against them Vietcongs’
But the fraternity this time
Stripped off his titles for 3 years
And heavyweight boxing lost its shine
Ali! Ali Ali!

‘Thrilla in Manila, Rumble in the Jungle’
Rope-A-Dope, Frazier,Foreman,Bugner
Norten, Cooper, and host of other names
Brought back boxing from the brink
The epitome of honor
When amidst hushed secrecy
He emerged to thunderous applause
To walk the steps up to the cauldron
Lighting the 1996 Atlanta Olympic flames
Ali! Ali! Ali

Though Parkinson’s debilitating effects
Is physically restricting his movements
He is the fighter in more ways than one
A Champion of all time

*** I stand corrected

Inspired by Haiku Heights #86 - 'charm'
Submitted for d'Verse OpenLinkNights Week 11


Sunday, September 25, 2011

The Phoenix


Photo Credit: Google images

A Bird

An image so clear
Emerging from the ashes
With wings wide apart

Extending its reach
Smoothness over the divide
Reaching out to watch

Fully satisfied
Extending its commitment
Over the masses

Inspired by Haiku Heights #84

Awaiting...


Photo Image:  Courtesy of Willow's Magpie


...and Hoping

A young maiden
Vying in the evening dusk
Clinging against hope
Clasping for strength
Her beauty only for him
Neptune lost in time
But gathering storms
Building up
Bidding for a good omen
A sign of awakening
An offering nonetheless

Listless she with bated breath
Raven by her side
Spying  into the distance
Faithfully  prying
To dig into Davy Jones’ confines
Awaiting with open arms
Anticipating
Rise and come back to me!

A Fish


Picture Credit: Google images
Arowana

Regal like smoothness
Majestically refined
Moving and gliding

Its beauty outlined
Scales shiny  in warm colours
Bidding for honours

Royal performance
An arowana defined
Greatness, a rare find

Inspired by Haiku Heights #83

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Time

Picture Credit: Google images

Timeless Times

Afflicts everyone
Wisdom sadly comes too late
Regretting time lost

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Boat Ride


The Shotover Jet - Simply glides at high speed and barely touching the rock wall that rises from the water!

Photo Credit: From google images

High Speed

Queenstown Shotover Jet
Manoeuvring,skims water
Thrilling at high speed


Note: One of the most thrilling and terrifying boat rides that I had ever experienced. Outwardly it appeared to be very dangerous, barely 2 feet from the rocks, almost touching. But those manning the boats said it was nothing as they were at it all the time.



Target


 Image1: Shooting target with bullet holes

 Image2: A lady shooter at a Shooting Club

Image3: Boys at a Shooting Range
(Photo Courtesy: Google images)

Shooting Practice

Bullseye! What a shot
Shooting was a lot of fun
For teens growing up


Target Scoring Points
A bullseye in the centre is the highest scoring part of the concentric circles on the target. They are outwards, a Bullseye (5 points) an Inner (4), a Magpie(3) and an Outer(2)

I was in a military school from age 15 till 19. It was modeled along the Sandhurst  Military Academy  (but for the equivalent of the secondary or high school years) . We were governed by the trappings of military science and traditions. Shooting practices were eagerly awaited for during military trainings on some Saturdays.  Rifle shooting  would need a butt party placed in a dug-out at the end where the targets were  to indicate the results to the shooters

Results  were immediately indicated by waving signals each in a specific manner of big placards at the end of a pole of about 7 ft long .This could be seen just by the naked eye at a range of about 150 meters by the shooters so that they would immediately know how they fared whether they scored a  bullseye , inner, magpie, outer or none at all. Those shooting  and the butt party would trade places every now and then so that everyone would have had a chance to shoot.

Inspired by Haiku Heights with The Prompt # 80

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A Dream

A Lifestyle

Unified in wedded bliss
The young of today
Bubbling with energy

To procreate a lineage
Unmasking their potential
For business and leisure
And pleasure
Of a balanced  lifestyle

Life is more than that
Life is a commitment
To spouse, family, friends and country
Revolving around  the social network circuit
Just sedentary
Minimal physical activity
Is prognostic of risks

Know your perils
Life is for the taking
To the fullest
But know your perils!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Feather

Protection

Warm plumage protects
Pillows, headgear,downs,earrings,

Icarus plummets

Inspired by:   Haiku Heights #78  Feather
                     You know...that Blog - Anticipation
(Photo Credit: Courtesy of Google images)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Wordle 22

A School Teacher

The verve of a nerve
She mirrored a sheepish smile
‘Hey! What’s coming?
I just yearn to knock on your knuckles'

She grinned, her opal necklace
Hanging by the thick thread
Moved in unison twinkling
Throwing sharp reflections
As if taking the cue
Taunting me

strengthen my resolve
‘You should have it at your fingertips
I bellowed
It got on my raw nerve
The thrust of the piercing lights
Bathing the corridor outside the class
Becoming reddish in the afternoon sun
I mused woefully
A bad omen?
These are just kids
And me a lovable school Ma’am!
I must learn to control my anger
It just isn’t fair!

Submitted for Sunday Whirl 22

Sunday, September 18, 2011

A Savior

The Snake Charmer, Henri Rousseau 1907

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Tess' Magpie

The Snake Charmer
Taking it a level higher
Naked but hidden within
The shadows
It was for all to hear

Unlike half clothed
Snake charmers of old
With their deadly offerings
Safely in each basket
He trained his music
On the surroundings
His slithering partners
Responding from around him

As an orchestra in session
Dancing in time with his music
Calling on sinners on earth
To account for their deeds

Inspired by Willow'sMagpie #83

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Train Travel

1985 New York:  Hank on the Amtrak nearing NY from Washington DC with Salleh Kaki

Choo Choo Chugging

Had a fair share of train travel
In the school days
We boys from the RMC
Hailed from all over the country
Given warrant tickets
Like ordinary soldiers
From place of abode
To our college
In Port Dickson
From whence we depart back home
For our school holidays and back again
When the school term commenced
The same routine
Would follow
For every term break

There were occasions
We organized ourselves
For expeditions (here)
We still jumped onto the trains
But to different destinations
Missed the fun and joy
Of a facet  growing up

Other people movers,
Trains out of London
South to Bournemouth and north to Luton
The Tubes,the Metro in Paris

From Calcutta through Nagpur and Bombay (Mumbai now)
The trams of Delft-Amsterdam
The trains to Lugano
The funicular up Mount Pilatus
And the clock-work Swiss lines
The cable cars of ‘Frisco
The Amrak, the NY subway network to Times Square
Present day LRT, MRT and the like

Nothing like the thrill
Of childhood travel with your peers
On a train through moments
Of memories

Inspiredby d'Verse Poetics Train

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Cold

Winter

Not a soul in sight
Barren as the desert sand
But glaringly cold

White as the seagull
Lonely for some while , but no!
In the horizon

There’s laughter and shouts
Yes! Not a care in the world
Throwing and tumbling,

Snowballs and snowman
Kids create ways to enjoy in
Biting cold  weather

Submitted for Haiku Heights # 75

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A Virtue

 Patience

Safety discarded
Blatantly disregarded
It turned out tragic

A highway horror
Consequence of impatience
Life lost, mangled heap

Patience a virtue
Sorely missed though by many
And regret pervades

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Youthfulness


Image 1: A Ben Barnes' movie poster of Oscar Wilde's only published novel 'The Portrait of Dorian Gray'
(Picture Credit: Google images)

Static Aging

Elixir of youth
Opened the  Pandora’s box
Wrought with failed attempts

Age-old desire
To falter and arrest youth
Vanity  holds true

With Dorian Gray
Imaginations run loose
Can a picture help?

Looks...

                                                       The Reverent Andrew Wyeth 1949

Picture Credit: Courtesy of Willow's Magpie #82

....Can be Deceiving!

Smart of good bearing
Elegantly attired
Well defined pure white

Seemingly alert
Officer and gentleman
You state your being!

Forthright leadership
Cultured and boldly refined
You state your due rights!

Of no real wants
Disciplined and distinguished
You state it real good!

You are deathly white!
I clamor for more insight!
Are we playing games?

Save your earnings
Hark, deathly apparition!
I just don’t buy it!

Haiku styled, inspired by Tess' Magpie #82

Friday, September 9, 2011

Bewilderment

Picture Credit: Courtesy of Google Images
Awesome

Tricks, joy and laughter
Wonders of bewilderment
Appreciated  in awe

In world of conflict
Fulfilled needs of emptiness
Outlet provided

Not just for the young
Universal  hypnotics
Magic tightened  holds

Responsibility


Picture Credit: Courtesy of Google Images

A Fulfillment 

I have had my fill
My girth had increased lately
It was a good sign

My special corner
Given a makeover for
A regal being

They did a good job
I laid back contentedly
I could feel the warmth

Abundance of care
With stinging efficiency
From worker and soldier

I yearn to fulfill
Enhanced fast paced progeny
For the colony

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

The Statue

Picture credit: Courtesy of Google Images


It's Magic!

Puff, into thin air
Liberty disappeared!
Was it sleight of hand ?

Hypnotic influence?
On iron and steel structure?
Unbelievable!

Copperfield it is
The gullible,the victim
Paid to be hoodwinked

Inspired by Haiku Heights Prompt #65 - Hypnotic

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Kiss of Life

Picture Credit: Courtesy of Google images

The Bronze Medallion : I received the bronze medallion at the age of 16. It came to good use 3 years later when I saved my colleague from drowning. ( here )


Life Savings Methods

Bronze medallion
Holger Nielson push and pull
Life savings of old

Resuscitation
CPR, a kiss of life
Hail a new method

Life saved life secured
But scrounge of human failings
Danger of the AIDS

Lethal without cure
High risks, likely infection
Led to guarded use

Inspired by Haiku Heights Prompt #64 - Kiss
Submitted to d'Verse Open Link Night Week #8

Monday, September 5, 2011

A Happening!

Let’s have a ball

A crawlbar for the evening
Hordes of them looking for a good time
It is a happening
At the ‘Bier Keller’

Do not goof it
Do not rack your brains
Guys and dolls
Men and women
Be yourself
Looking fresh
Enticing without a hitch

Like a flower in bloom

No sickos pallid looking
Quivering self
But happy as a lark
Hovering up in the skies
Birdlike
A star studded crowd
No less

Let’s have a ball
I’m game!

Inspired by Sunday Whirl Wordle #20

Sunday, September 4, 2011

So It is!

Tough Luck!

Do you make it out
We planned it with such flourish
It was such a dish

But disappointment
It came with no such relish
How I had so wished

It cannot be helped
Things are such they  would just miss
Providence it is!

Inspired by Haiku Heights with prompt #63  'flourish' and 
Poetry Pantry #65

A Silent Movie

Image 1: Laurel and Hardy

 Image 2:  Charlie Chaplin
(Photo Credit: Courtesy of Google images)

The Classics

The silent movie
How it could stand by itself
One often wonders

Sans sounds of  dialogue
Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy
Fondly remembered

Enjoyed  the series
What attracts and what repels
The fascination

Of written dialogue
Which makes it very special
Can one then complain? 

Haiku styled inspired by d'Verse Poetics - Shh...Silent Movies