Rainy Days

Pitter patter, pitter pit, dripping dropping
On my skin. Cooling drops flowing sliding
Taking my wearies and troubles flowing
Here on the field of grass with the rain clouds floating.
I close my eyes and open my ears, a melody of peace
Washes away fear which makes my soul freeze
All the tears and sorrow, gone in a moment’s peace
As the rain washes my body and my soul piece by piece.
As I dance amidst the curtains of gentle love
The melody slows and stops while the breeze blows
The dream of a gentle angel while I dance I hold
Wave goodbye as she returns to the palace of love.
As I bemoan more tears and pain and sorrows to gain,
I yearn for the gentle cleansing rain again.

-Nick Lai Weixuan, ‘Cleansing’ (23/02/2007, Friday)

I love rain, and when I was a kid I would use any excuse just to get myself drenched. The only price I pay for that, was not a bout of cold. But bags get wet, and its contents are usually ruined. But I feel that its worth it, so I don't care about that much. Now that I'm older now, I have cellphones and other electronic gadgets to worry about, thus I prefer to just find the shelter as close to the rain with as best a view as I can, and just sit down to admire it.

When I was a young boy, getting drenched in the rain carries a special kind of sensation, a sense that is so uplifting, that it literally takes my breath away. As I stand in the rain, or dance under it, I feel at peace. Years passed, getting drenched in the rain carries a more profound purpose for me. It is no longer just a relaxer, it helps me relieve stress, sooth emotional pains and sorrow. When the raindrops hit me, each splatter drives the loneliness and pain away. Anything that is bugging me is drowned out at the moment. The melody is so wonderous and powerful that I can drift away on it.

Of course, this cleansing ends when the rain stops, and all that I had momentarily left behind struggles to catch up again. But still, during the rain everything goes away, and I attained a highest level of peace I can gain so far at that moment. It is a good experiance I will never give up.

I wonder how you people find some form of relaxation and stress removal? I found mine, and I'm glad for it.

Schools

Tall and Wide, Stable and Secure, a sense
Of joy in the comfort of learning and pleasure
Of friendly faces and smiles, all beyond measure,
The Classroom, where I come from, where I found friends.
We sit together and talk as one, our perspiration
Drip drops in the sweltering months of heat and stress.
We hoped and prayed that we really did our best
And we can graduate with joy and fufill our aspirations.
But most are forgotten when the school bells ring
An end of the day, a clattering of books and glee
We ran out like of school, happy to be free,
One day's hard work seemed now like a passing dream.
The Classroom remembers, it always does,
Generations of students, brought together as a class.

-Nick Lai Weixuan, 'The Classroom' (22/02/2007, Thursday)

Funny how that when we enter the workforce, and we really think back in time to the days of our student life, a sense of nostalgia would arrive like the shadow of the night.

Some people complain, that their school sucks, their classmates suck and everything sucks. Well too bad, they viewed a wonderful growing experiance in such a negative light, its probably too late to convince otherwise anyhow.

Education in Singapore is not that bad, and I'm not really going to get into that. Its the spirit of a school, an institution where you can learn more than just book knowledge if you just open your eyes and ears to experiance the school itself. Can you imagine walking down the corridors, and feel hundreds and thousands of ex students who graced the very path you walked? Fine for those with a new campus, isn't it exciting that you are one of the few pioneer generations at this campus who will walk the path of learning before others?

I believe that everybody leaves a small part of themselves with every place they spend a significant time with, and leave a bigger part if they are particularly attached to the place. This is not a bad thing, because the spirit you have for the school endures, and the school itself becomes a holding ground for the collective experiance of all its students.

Ever wonder why some schools feel homely while others feel a little emptier or even intimidating? Its the emotional attachments of everybody that leaves this psychic mark, this mark is felt rather than seen, or smelt like typical men's toilets.

I recount my visit to the new campus for Millennia Institute, the place is fresh and new, the air is crisp and everything looks spanking. What everybody says is true, this school is THE new happening school, and its just so exciting to be there. Its like moving to a new home.

What is particularly exciting about this, is that the school feels very inviting, in the energetic sense, its litterally ready to receive heartfelt blessings. Without hesitation, during the Heritage Walk as well as the Chinese New Year celebrations, I've added a little energetic touch to the school, giving it my heartfelt wishes for it to continue to nurture her students forever. As the Program and Events Officer, I am garunteed more chances to return, and hopefully with each visit, I can feel and receive confirmation that the school is thriving.

As a part time student now, finding work to pay the bills and course fees, the lack of a campus environment fills me with dread. Gone are my own aspirations to be in a school environment for a decent part of a day, filled with classmates I will see regularly and generally not having to worry about most stuff that we don't generally worry about before we hit the working society. Reality is a harsh jug of cold water to jolt one from fond dreams, and this time, I'm still not dry yet.

The poem above is one of my first few attempts, its raw and probably not up to typical poetry standards, but bear with me. As I unlock my poetic juices, I hope I can produce better pieces.

Have a nice day all.

"Have no Fear, Nick is Here."

-Anzillu

Back in Action

Scorn not the Sonnet; Critic, you have frowned,
Mindless of its just honours:, with this key
Shakespeare unlocked his heart; the melody
Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch's wound;
A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound;
With it Camoens soothed an exile's grief;
The Sonnet glittered a gay myrtle leaf
Amid the cypress with which Dante crowned
His visionary brow; a glow-worm lamp
It cheered mild Spenser, called from Faery-land
To struggle through dark ways; and when a damp
Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand
The Thing became a trumpet, whence he blew
Soul-animating strains - alas, too few !

-William Wordsworth, 'Scorn not the Sonnet'

Alas too few indeed, where poets emerge with each generation, the sonnet retains its position as one of the mostly used form of poetry amongst the others.

A blog is usually an online diary for a person's thoughts, a typical form and flow that speaks from the writer's perspective. An invaluable source of information where one can glimpse the writer's inner emotions and thoughts, even when there are no words used to express.

The ability to communicate is a priceless treasure humanity has kept dear, and while it evolves, written words have the unique position of being arbitary, since they are recorded somewhat. Even in the digital age where this page can jolly well be altered and editted into a form and flow entirely different from the original, at the very least, it is something there where others can refer to time and time again.

For those who have read the Parchment Tales, a blog created by myself, featuring weekly (or supposedly weekly) mini-chapters of my created fantasy world, thank you for your support. I have decided to take a break from real writing, and getting down to proper characterisation before resuming my work. I don't see if the whole thing can ever end, and finally see my name in print in bookshelves, but I will give this a try.

What has this got to do with the sonnet? Or with blogging? Very simply, the sonnet is a powerful communication form, and through that, as well as other styles in poetry I will try to express my own journey in life, introduce a few characters, the deepest peek into their thoughts and feelings, and chart some calling I have felt since long ago.

This blog will not be updated regularly, but be assured it will be updated as often as I can. I might not kick start any updates with a poem, but rest assured I will kick start each update with something.

Before I sign off, let me begin this lifelong signature quote by myself, and kick start this exciting journey. Have a good day people.

"Have no Fear, Nick is Here."

-Anzillu