Pink Roses

Pink roses in a vase welcome seven cold guests, turning them to smiles.

โ€”

an innocent staff put these roses in a vase to welcome us; she said the roses were grown in the dorm garden, which we found true; what a sweet gesture ๐Ÿ’ (Nagano, 2014) โ€” we should have smiled more widely to her ๐Ÿ˜ see you again this year

Ode to Day

Dear, day.
Do you know that I never stop waiting for you?
When my watch ticks a second,
My heart drips a note,
My pulse vibrates softly,
I know I am closer to you.

Dear, day.
Do you know that every part of you blesses me?
When morning breaks,
Noon flares,
Dusk fades to night,
I know the next you is waiting
For me.

Day oh day
Many I canโ€™t understand,
Much I canโ€™t decipher,
Little I can see,
Very few I can give
Yet I still hope
To meet you again.

Dear, day.
How I am blessed with family,
Gifted with friends,
Sufficed with this self,
You are still the one
Sung by this heart.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
All have been today
And never faded away.

I am blessed, day
With another you
In the best way.

And for you
I am grateful.

โ€”

as dark as serene night
as shadowy as calm dusk
as bright as each and every morning
she is well protected under the shade of glorious sunflowers ๐Ÿ’
dear sunflower ๐Ÿ’•
and the white drops of details
when all glass vases are prioritised for orchid roots, fondue pot be todayโ€™s best choice ๐Ÿ’
all must be got rid of in order for the flower arrangement to get a spacious and โ€œcleanโ€ background โ€” there is always thing to prioritise; if it is not you, donโ€™t feel bad โ€” itโ€™s just like that everyday so just be blessed with becoming either 0 or 1 in this binary world ๐Ÿ’•

Love Diaries in A Library

This life is a library
Keeping all collections,
Reference to public,
Exclusive to a lover,
One lover.
The
Belovedโ€”

Read,
Beloved
Any scrolls
In this library.

Read,
Lover
The diaries
In the secret dungeon.

Read,
Beloved
With naked eyes, or
With any glasses on the shelves.

Read,
Lover
Through letters and numbers,
Shapes and colours.

Read,
Beloved
This library is open
As long as you are awake.

Read,
Lover
Before you sleep
When Iโ€™ll be reading you through.

โ€”

my earlier diaries are true stories through naked eyes; the later are colours, shapes, numbers, words in various styles and figures of speech needing some tricks and tips to sense layers of meanings and information โ€” we are all writers, librarians and readers ๐Ÿ’

About the photo

Free Will

Free will? What is that? This breath is what you blow in to me to love you.

โ€”

Realising more and more that her life is free of free will; she needs causes and reasons to do anything she does even for her brain to think about what things to think ofโ€” there is a bond invisible and invincible.

She surrenders to the bond. ๐Ÿ’

Happy weekend.

Salaam.

two new buds not coming out of free will ๐Ÿฅฐ there are reasons, there are causes

Corner

In a bright corner sheโ€™s seen. The sun sends her light reflecting bright life.

โ€”

this is more than enough to put me in a good mood after a long trip; she delivers a stem of buds after moved to a corner where sun greets her directly โ€” thank you!

Taste

How many tastes can she experience in joy? 5 or 7?

โ€”

Realising that the best taste is not any of those 5 or 7; the best taste is only 1: to love. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Days of love be likeโ€ฆ

well done beef
sate kambing (lamb skewer)
ayam geprek (smashed chicken)
nasi rames (combined dish riced)
gado-gado (vegetables in peanut sauce)
lumpia sayur (vegetable spring rolls)
pisang goreng (fried banana)
the baked and cherry
the baked and blueberry
mango ๐Ÿ’ and pumpkin seeds

Friday

Friday, this bright light blinks to the eyes not stopping staring at the heart.

โ€”

Masjid Istiqlal โ€” after more than 10 years
shollu โ€˜alannabiy ๐Ÿ’
waiting for a friend who said โ€œletโ€™s meet up in Istiqlal Mosque, Thursday night welcoming Friday would be a good night to pray for beautiful 2023โ€ ๐Ÿ’

Dancing Dolls

Dolls dance following the rhythm of the carverโ€™s breath. Standing ovationโ€”

โ€”

dancing dolls, how attractive you are! i enjoy watching your unmoved movements then applaud as thatโ€™s what you are made for ๐ŸŽŽ

Lazed

Is it lazed or slowed? The day seems long without you around the pink sky.

โ€”

indomie is the best in lazy day ๐Ÿ˜

doesnโ€™t look amazing but tastes like soul! ๐Ÿฅฐ

Welcome

โ€”

Welcomed by a home with greenery to be cooked, she builds a sweet mood.
fridge gave me a surprise to make lunch – thanks for the left over of vegetables and beef ๐Ÿ˜

Reflector

Reflection kills her night.
The tower dramatically sways,
Dancing with the street light,
Gleaming with the moonbeam.

She grabs a cloth
To wipe her mirror.

Oye, her little heart.
You need a janitor.

โ€”

one Petronas tower reflected perfectly through a skyscraperโ€™s glass in a dim evening ๐Ÿชž dramatic yet poetic and romantic ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Old Friends

There is memory shared around a round table at a starry night.

โ€”

so blessed to meet friends โ€” they said โ€œChinese food for dinner ok lah, Rijk, no pork lah no pork!โ€ ok lah, everyoneโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿ˜˜ thank you! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ

Two Towers

Towers will mostly collapse of weak foundationโ€ฆ. Or the strongest quake

โ€”

Petronas Twin Towers from taxi ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿฝ
solanum on the reception table ๐Ÿ’
no one can make me feel not good if I donโ€™t allow myself to – itโ€™s a commitment as strong as tower with solid foundation, not only a lip service. KL, see you soon ๐Ÿ”ฅ

Nothing Is Left

She travels light.

She brings a few packed
And you, in a locket
Kept safe with a chain
Worn around the neck
Reminding the traveler
That nothing is left.

โ€”

dear river, this is my empty jar with which i keep your water before it flows back with you to the vast ocean – nothing is wasted, nothing is left ๐Ÿ’

Ceremony

Thereโ€™s fire kindled, prayer sung, fragrance bellowed in ceremony.

โ€”

Life is humble as a simple smile at the same time sacred as a ceremony, enjoy it with bare heart (RC Gormanโ€™s Ceremony)

(Day)Dreamers

A white lamb on the lap of a dreamer daydreams of her dreaming sweet.

โ€”

donโ€™t judge your dream, accept it ๐Ÿ’— you can do it by calming down

Deep Sea

White foam on turquoise sweeps back to dark blue deeper to where secrets are.

โ€”

dive more deeply to this deep sea and let yourself be greeted by the calmness and warmth of your own honesty and acceptance โ€” there is something that doesnโ€™t demand you to be anyone else but you ๐Ÿ’—

Angels (sharing)

The wings are flapping sprinkling blessings through the air. Breathe them. Be blissful.

โ€”

In Arabic angel is called malaaikatun or malaaikah or simply malaaikat (ุงู„ู’ู…ูŽู„ูฐู“ุฆููƒูŽุฉู) literally meaning โ€œpower that governsโ€. In Islamic tradition the โ€œpower that governsโ€ are grouped based on what type of assigned power they govern that are many and one of them is โ€œpower to govern protectionโ€.

I always believe I am fully protected through the existence of the angels surrounding me although I am not interested to discuss about their form; people say angels have wings, others say they are made from light, some say malaaikah are systemic laws to run the universe, and so on and so forth. It doesnโ€™t matter to me. That they exist and follow the assigned โ€œpower to governโ€ is enough for me.

Only when we listen, we will hear. We will hear the songs of the angels, the songs of universe, the songs of the heart, the songs of the soul. I prefer my angels to sing jazzy songs in this end of long weekend. ๐Ÿ˜

Listening to heartโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿ’—

Salaam.

โ€˜ve met feathers almost everywhere walking recently; i took it as a sign that protection is everywhere and decided to always wear this silver pendant this year as an appreciation of the protection โ€” thank you for the protection

3 1st on Jan 1st

There is always first.
A tree greeting breeze and sky
Comes from minute seed.

โ€”

1st breakfast to make
1st movie to (re)watch in 2023 – an energizing movie! always love Sandra Bullock
1st chore while 1st movie rewatch after 1st breakfast completed โ€” more 1st things on Jan 1st of 1st long weekend in 2023 โ€” iโ€™m gonna love 2023 much ๐Ÿ’—

Year by Year (Life Long Resolution)

Thank you, 2022 for every single second spent together. You are a stronger part of what Iโ€™ve been building with love. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And thanks to all years passing, too. Iโ€™ll miss you. ๐Ÿ’

โ€”

Life is wonderful that she is eager about it and is willing to expand and to keep up with what she is becoming. She is the pilot, she is the plane. She is the destination, she is the direction. She is the standard, she is the conformance. She is the alignment, she is the aligned. She is enough.

It is not othersโ€™ responsibility that she feels good or not good. The feel existing is because she allows it to be. And the vice versa.

โ€”

2023, be my excellent canvas of feel-good-no-matter-what. Clarity, sufficiency, integrity as in good life, beautiful love, genuine laughter ๐Ÿ’—

Alfatihah.

๐Ÿ’

3 buceng (tumpeng) kuwat mini for todayโ€™s end of year blessing ๐Ÿ’
this type of buceng/tumpeng is made of sticky rice and grated coconut cooked in palm sugar; it is a buceng served in Javanese traditional ceremony for health and strength in physical, mental and spiritual โ€” made it mini so i could enjoy it for todayโ€™s portion of breakfast, lunch and dinner ๐Ÿ’

About tumpeng or buceng (in Bahasa Indonesia)

clarity, sufficiency, integrity as in good life, beautiful love, genuine laughter
DC said โ€œhey, 7! stop the call, firework is ready!โ€ DC and I worked in the same office and stayed in the same rented house strictly for ladies, belonging to a rich Maduranese family in Greater Jakarta – the family always threw New Year celebration with some of us in the huge garden between their mansion and the rented house – we both were always excited because we never liked going out with some other ladies to celebrate it outside ๐Ÿฅฐ oh my! it was me in the year 2002 welcoming 2003, calling my mother in new yearโ€™s eve from my Nokia ๐Ÿ˜€
waking up on Jan 1, 2003 morning in DCโ€™s bedroom (hers was #4) that was full with stuffed animals โ€” we probably only slept for 1 hour before she woke us up โ€œladies, wake up! pose before you even bath and brush your teeth, i will go develop the pictures today as new yearโ€™s gift for you allโ€ and it is a true gift in 2023 for me ๐Ÿ˜‚ thanks, DC! love from where i am ๐Ÿ’

St Elmoโ€™s Fire

Water! Water!
St Elmoโ€™s fire!
Water!

No.
No water for St Elmoโ€™s fire.
A good omen.

Amen! Amen!
St Elmoโ€™s fire!
Amen!

โ€”

New year again! Thanks so much for reaching this point like a plane (an inch to) landing smoothly. Seat belt still on! Airplane mode still on! Yet the pilot is smiling widely with fire in her heart brighter and brighter, no red anymore, now almost blue to white!

Count down! ๐Ÿ’—

love theme from St Elmoโ€™s Fire movie ๐Ÿ’

๐Ÿ˜Š

About another St Elmoโ€™s fire

Karma Pala

Ing karma pala tan ana kang isa mlayu. Kudu ngunduh.

Nandure siji, thukule satus. Panene pitungatus.

Tan kena kinira, mung Gusti kang pirsa. Janma mung krida.

Anteping kalbu, tekating jiwa. Slamet
Ing kabeh mangsa.

Rahayu.

(geguritan Jawa)

โ€”

cute seeds whose name i know not – hope 2023 will bring me harvest seasons with excellent crops; what? new year? againโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿ˜Ž๐Ÿฅฐ

Days Hum with A Smile

Days hum with a smile,
Swiping hours of hunger
Leaving only joy.

โ€”

opening the freezer, i found a bag of oxtail; bought 1kg even before the trip โ€” ok, the best choice was making oxtail soup! ๐Ÿ˜Ž
1st serving – i love delicious oxtail soup! ๐Ÿ’•
2nd one, there were 3 more โ€” thanks god i donโ€™t have cholesterol issue so it was a 2-day oxtail soup every meal with smiles and hums ๐Ÿ˜€

Be Light-Hearted, My Dear

Heart should be as light as a swaying feather to enjoy life with only feel good no matter what.

In Javanese someone with heavy heart is called mbentoyong which literally means โ€œbent and almost broken by the heavy loadsโ€, it is associated with a tree whose branches are bent and almost broken because of heavy loads of ripened fruitsโ€. This kind of person will not find happiness and joy in any point of oneโ€™s life; one will misunderstand alone with loneliness and so one will always find refuge among crowd; one is confused about oneโ€™s self; one will always refer to what others say about one as if their opinions are more important than oneโ€™s own. As long as one is not willing to unload the unnecessary burdens in heart, one will always be mbentoyong better and better and finally be a master of mbentoyong.

It is heavy. I know it is heavy. It is painful. I know it is painful. Be cured, dear heavy hearts whenever you feel heavy. Lightness of heart is a comfort even in discomfort. ๐Ÿฅฐ

I bless this heart which is light and swaying with the flow of clean river inside. Calm and witty and fun! Thank you for the feel good no matter what. Not easy but doableโ€”

Salaam.

๐Ÿ’—

โ€œletโ€™s go to Turkey, Rijkโ€ my best friend texted me last week; โ€œwhy not, Mbakโ€ said i light-heartedly โ€” itโ€™s time for Konya ๐Ÿ’—

The Right Pink

The rose apple is pink enough to be harvested. Itโ€™s the right time.

โ€”

waiting for the flight home, once again looked at the pink Lucy and once again blessed this key ring โ€œwill definitely be suddenly Lucy Van Pelt to the snobbish and to the arrogantโ€ ๐Ÿ˜‡

About Lucy Van Pelt

They Call It This, I Call It That

Or I call it this, they call it that. It is it. Pronouns that fool aroundโ€”

Some know, like telling. Some know, donโ€™t tell enjoying the fun of knowingโ€”

Some names are easy. Some are hard. All refer to one uttered many.

Some are fooled with words, some with views, lots with both. Few are clear with both

Which one is called a blessing? Ahโ€ฆ. Choose a door and say your oath.

Salaam.

โ€”

they call it this, i call it that
they call it red anthurium, i call it anthurium
they call it golden shower orchids, i call it oncidium
they call it layered yellow alamanda, i call it alamanda
they call it fragrant orchids, i call it orchids
they call it patterned pink rose, i call it rose

Travelers


We are all
Full time travelers
Visiting space of everywhere
Staying in faraway nowhere

Oh, Beloved.
Listen to the whooshing comets
Telling you flash news
About your singing heart.

Oh, Beloved.
Look at the satellites
Showing you hopes and vibes
About your cheering head.

We are all
Full time travelers
Finding space called a home
Among houses that were loomed.

Found!
After lostโ€”

Thank you, Love.

โ€”

๐Ÿ’—

Super Charged

Super charged young boys can beat super charged old champs just with light laughter.

โ€”

two boys joined our group to go river-rafting
while the adults were resting after 1-hour rafting before the next 1-hour, these boys were playing
and they played helmets throwing ๐Ÿ˜‚
we asked the boys to stand upโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿ’
only one succeeded ๐Ÿ˜‚ the other fell down on to the boat soft floor of the swift waves in Ayung River ๐Ÿ˜€

Busy Faking

How busy you are
Both
Covering
What should not
Be covered.

I am watching
Merrily
With a sweet smile
From
My sweet heart.

If it is true,
Show the world
With no shame,
No pretension.
Or elseโ€ฆ.

You both
Live in fake
False life
Full with false
Fake smiles.

How busy you are
Both showing me
Only me
While hiding
From most of the world.

โ€”

not perfect but not fake! ๐Ÿ˜˜