LOOKING

Childhood left me with fond memories
Of this special plant
That twirled on a square wooden stilt
Giving out strong beautiful odors
Particularly in the night

They attracted many visitors
Sometimes they took some home
Putting them on their pillows
Mum would put in the coconut oil
To shine through her lush black hair

I drove through one lane
Noticing the small leafy crawling plant
That stood lush and tall
In someone’s compound
Thought of asking for some
But the owner was no where to be found

Then one day I took another drive
To the place I once lived
Stopping by the gate
Ringing the bell of this owner
Out she came
And I instantly asked
If those lush leafy and crawling plants
Belonged to her

Then she disappeared
Out again with
Cutters and bags

I cut them in small stems
Waiting patiently for the shoot
Some died while under probation
Too few survived to share

Once they flower
The joy was my pleasure
Five petals some times four
I would surely put them
To my nose and say
Alhamdulillah

Alas! I found this plant
That I have not seen for many years
They give out superb odor
That filled up my bedroom

BRIG.GEN.SLUGS

They come and they go
As they pleased
They lived in their shells
But eating our plants
Never mind that
Life is meant to be shared
That’s the motto
Where we now lived

They even have young soldiers
That eat away
Our little germinations
Which went missing
Each time we looked for them
Never mind that
Life is meant to be shared

They deserved the plants
There were plentiful
But my hibiscus cuttings
They were denied lives
Even the stems were ruined
Being eaten away cleaned
By their captains and coprals
How else to groom
Never mind that
Life is meant to be shared

Plants are meant to be shared
Though seemed ruined
But new leaves kept appearing
Sometimes I do not mind much
So help yourselves

I have slug palettes
Given by my planter friend
I kept them just above the shelve
But have no heart to share
With Mr.Slugs and their families
Go on..Live your lives...

They are meant to be shared

SAFRON LEAVES/TUMERIC LEAVES

The vegetable seller

Chosen some healthy tuber
For me to plant
In my vegetable plots

Placed them on a raised bund
Confident they would grow
When heavy showers came
With torrential falls
They rerouted their destiny

One day I was looking
But no where to be found
On different patch
Not even on the soil
But on the bund

I replaced them
Nicely under other plants
Apparently they lived
Giving out healthy leaves

I waited till the day
I was making bubur lambuk
Looking for them
To pluck but
They have been helped
This time by grasshopper
Never mind that
They needed to eat
Plants are meant to be shared

PLANTS OF CONGESTION

They came in many sizes
But the big ones
Are rarely found
I couldn’t afford the weight
Lifting up was too much
So I always bought
The small ones

One plant was too few
So I added another
To accompany
Later they grew

One plant was too few
Congested? Yes, probably
Complaining?
No, I did not hear anything
Pots are my best friends
They never spoke nor complained

Even when forgotten
Only on dry days they did
Hinted some signs

They wilted and dried up easily
Asking for mercy
So I turned the tap on
And wish wash with the shower

They grew up with me
Fulfilled my life and theirs’
In time of happiness and disparity
They never died
But multiplied much too fast

Then one day
It was pruning time
The yellow flowers bloomed
Everywhere on the ground
And even in the pots
And the planters box
Brightened up the place

My heart cried
Never could I performed
Late evening I waited
As the flowers rolled up
Hesitantly I trimmed them away
Placed them on the ground
Telling myself
Never mind
They would surely give better
Yellow blooms in months to come

pictures that went missing from all poems would be uploaded at a later time

THE FAITHFUL

One day, two days, 3 months or 4 years
Perhaps ever since he started working
Posterior chained with a gray lock
The hind portion tide with raffia

The middle secured by a brilliant blue lock
With yellow and red colors
Pedals set to move
The strong rims stood still
Rounded and silver headed
Parked on the pathways
Faithfully waiting for instructions

Next to it stood
An equally gray structure
Watchamaycallit?
With bigger padlock, metals and all
To prevent from it “going off”
With desperate “Steel Stealers”

That might sell to scrap metal traders
This structure may be co-owned by MBPJ
One blue pole
Holding a square-box-of –yellow-bin-liner
Filled up with litters
And dressed up in stickers of phone numbers
Probably that of loan sharks
Because the many looked "one”

One big notice board
Stood equally still
This one
Is obviously belonged to MBPJ

It bore notices of legal terminologies
With warning words
Which accepted no apologies
Once fined, just pay

The cycle and all its pals
Faithfully stood still
But the man who owned the cycle
Would have to unlock it
And
Home they pedalled

The next day
It would be back
Joining its pal
Even if it rained, shined or moonlighted
Faithfully stood still
Until the man finished his task
Home they went and took a rest…

Gift of love and affection

Open my eyes what would I see?
Lots of green tall and short
Big and small of green sea
Just outside my windows
I noticed Allah’s creations
And the gift of love and nature

I loved plants, trees and greens
Even stumps, huge or little
And the overgrown roots
So gigantic

He knows it all
That’s why my bedroom
Is next to the plant, trees and all
The shoots come in red, orange and lighter green
Names were there
But I did not know

Only rubber trees I recognized
Young and old grew
Outside my bedroom window
The rest are unknown except for keladi batik

Gifts come in many forms
If you have love and affection
They were sent in many ways
Like living next door to you
Or being planted in your pots
With colors you never imagine

Through many forms
They knew
That’s why they were there
Some were sent
Like plants of medicinal values
Appearing in my pots
Or even on the ground
As gifts of love and passion

missing pictures? to be replaced later....

GENERAL M

Friends not-from-afar
They came they invaded
That’s their nature
We were forced
To cooperate which is better

First they were
A whole lot of sixty
Would you believe it???
The trees looked like
Being blown by hurricane
When they jumped
At once I knew

They gave me the creeps
At close encounters
They are harmful and
Went wild when provoked

After Hari Raya
I ignored the sms
Mummy, close all windows
Was the message

While ironing some clothes
The noise came
From you guess where?
The dining table

There were three of them
Who?
The generals
Sitting comfortably on it
Tasting the sweet and beautiful tarts
Messing about in all parts

I was jumping and shooing
Much to their amazement
So? I have another relative
Living in this house too?
Was what they say of me

Then one day the big group broke up
Probably the men from the Environment
Took the law in their hands
Less than twenty kept coming
Sometimes I fed them
With dried dates, apricots and figs so many
Now they become my acquaintance
But never could get close

They even managed my bananas trees
But, never mind…

Although a few hours later
After this photo shoot
One middle tree
Was severed of its top
As discovered
It was newly emerged bananas

But never mind…

They are still my friends
And
They needed food to eat
Which I could never give
Help yourselves to treat
Dear monkeys
That’s all I could offer