Tag: free verse

Home (ranting)

Learning, Poetic
There is a home
That no one refuses
Through series of rejection.

There is a home
That many dream as grand and proud
Through sweats and tears.

There is a home
That all thank for
Through blessings and trials.

There is a home
That one gets shelters and hugs
Through age and moment.

There is a home
That one lives in
Alone and together.

——

Disclaimer: a ranting from a head full of dreams through 2 thumbs — please read responsibly, beware of jumping contexts, connect the dots carefully

——

There are 3 homes that a Javanese should build within her/his life time. Those 3 are raga, wisma, buana.

RAGA

Raga means body in Javanese language. It is one significant aspect as it is the materialisation of life that enables life to experience life. There are senses only when life is embodied in this plane. There are emotions only when life experiences in this plane. And that life is manifested in human being body is the next level of blessings that make life live to the fullest as human being is considered the highest level of creature whereby lowest to highest qualities gather.

There are three layers of raga according to Javanese tradition: physical body, mental body and spiritual body. Which is to be taken care of? All, no exception as three are making the home.

This is the first home that should be built by a human being. Connection to her/himself is the foundation. Contribution to life is the pillars and walls. Dedication and devotion is the roof. The rest is optional.

Connection to self: with all the needs for survival, acknowledgement, justification, compliments and other external alignment; human being tends to forget to talk to her/himself, thank to her/himself, listen to her/his true self. S/he ignores the self as long as s/he feels pride and externally justified. I don’t say it wrong; yet based on my own experience connecting to self through honest conversation with my own self is the only way to realise that this very body is the safest home.

Connection to my self is a needed foundation to have more genuine and stable contribution to life. Not easy but doable—

Contribution to life: appreciate others, help others, support others, be genuinely kind, let go off others’ negative impression about self — and the like. I used to bear all those as burden until finally I realised that proper connection to myself is a key to my contribution to life.

When I was younger, I protected my ego and pride as if others would snatch them away. When I was younger, I would not tolerate others who behave slightly different from what I expected. When I was younger, I would not show genuine affection to others as I was afraid they would misunderstand me — bloody hell as if I was a perfectly beautiful or truest creature on earth 😝

It has taken almost all my life to be genuinely kind even to my own self. It took me brutal honesty and judgment and rejection and humiliation and disrespect from my own self and from others. Yet I am ok.

It has taken and will continue taking time to bring my self to where “the existence is as much as the non existence”. I will be patient with my self.

Dedication/devotion: complaining is one highest skill of many human beings where I am now living. I can say I’ve learnt this (new) skill here. Paradoxically I also learnt to be more sincere and to complain the least. The massive complaining vibe has taught me that the dedication to what we are doing regardless how hard it is is like polishing a stone to finally expose a gemstone in the core — I had verbally complained lesser and lesser until finally I can tame my self to not complain without and within.

I devote my life through what tasks assigned without thinking how much the contribution to life materially is as long as I know it is to enrich my and others’ life. I will continue doing what I am doing until I cannot so what I am doing.

💕

WISMA

Wisma means house or home.

Why wisma? Why not greha/grha (not graha)? Greha/grha refers to building, while wisma refers to both building and a place to rest.

So, wisma is a house that makes a Javanese being her/himself with those s/he commits to spend her/his true self in certain period of life time, to rest from all the outside world that might have degraded her/his being human. Whether the wisma is owned or rented, it is not a matter; the matter is it can give shelter and peace to the dwellers— both should be guaranteed.

What about being homeless? While some travel from one place to another “to find her/himself”, a home is paramount for all Javanese to finally go home; and being homeless is not a preferred condition. For common Javanese homeless is an indicator of disconnection (from self and/or from family/community and/or from environment/universe).

It might be a culture that changes over time. Young people prefer buying other things first before buying home. It doesn’t matter, they perhaps find home in those.

🙏🏼

BUANA

Buana is the world, the earth in particular as a nature.

When Elon Musk said he wanted to move to Mars, I could understand. This earth is probably not feeling home to him (and some people who know what is really happening to certain level of global situation) and so he needs to find a new home where life can be safer and more controllable.

The earth has been exploited and I’ve been part of it with my liking to clothing and paper books. The earth has been tortured and I’ve been part of it through the fossil fuel consumption and the craving of cheaper prices of almost everything.

What have I done to take care of this home? I can just do the least: using as least plastic as possible, keep my space clean and hygiene, use environmentally friendly products for primary stuff, eat organic food when possible, support animal welfare causes and plant more trees in my own garden.

Not so much I can do yet that’s a commitment to love Mother Earth.

💕

Yet I still feel dragged to be in those 3 homes. I feel like trudging with shackles around my ankles walking to where I am not feeling good and well appreciated. I am not yet prancing enjoying being home.

It doesn’t matter, I will be patient to this human side.

Happy weekend! Laundry is waiting 🥰

Salaam.

3 homes, 3 sources of freshness, 3 balancing points

Dos & Don’ts

Learning, Poetic
Do what you want
Just don’t touch my thing,
Said I.

I moved your thing
But I didn’t take it,
Said wind.

Sometimes naked words
Are taken as a wrapped joke,
Said I.

No one said anything
As it is just a blowing wind
Missing me one day.

——

two days of sick leave and when i was back to work, my cats and boxed stone were re-arranged by heaven knows who

maybe my cats climbed up or jumped 😝

original arrangement 💕

Loosen Up

Learning, Poetic
Loosen up,
Beloved
Between sunrise
And sunset.

Breathe in,
Beloved
Inhaling love,
The colourless.

Halt here,
Beloved
Enjoying void
That’s alive.

Breathe out,
Beloved
Exhaling blessings,
The colourful.

——

AgnesMo reminds me that whatever season it is, don’t forget to insert a space to have fun — thanks, Agnes although my way is so much different from yours 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Sunset

Learning, Poetic
Sunset,
When you greet,
You greet with messages
To see an end
As a start,
To see brightness
Wrapped in some dark,
To feel some doubt
As a protection.

Sunset,
Not long after you
I will sleep
To dream what I can’t achieve,
To release what I can’t detach,
To kiss my beloved,
To travel to where your sister
Sunrise gives back
All what rest.

——

today’s beautiful sunset 💕

pretty wind chime from Bogyoke Market, Myanmar that has been light and sound reflector since 2018 — thank you for today!

Just Like That

Learning
I stand on a sheet of paper
Full of flying poems
That tell me
That life is just like
That.

I stand in front of a mirror
Full of dancing shadows
That tell me
That real is just like
That.

I stand across the bridge
Full of swimming hopes
That tell me
That memory is just like
That.

I stand on a piece of heart
Full of singing loves
That tell me
That dream is just like
That.

I stand next to a bucket
Full of listed completions
That tell me
That failure is just like
That.

I stand with myself
Full of cries and smiles
That tell me
That success is just like
That.

Be just right,
Not less,
Not more,
As life is just like
That.

——

I never wanted to visit Korea until one colleague sent me a photo of library near our office in Seoul. Today he reminded me again about the library and told me to go there soon as he is moving to another location soon and might need to travel long to bring me to the library.

But he also said “Library is just like that. The most important thing is its collection, not its building.”

“And the building is like in the photo? Just like that?”

“Yes. It is just like that. You’re still welcome to Korea though.”

“Sure! Scheduled.”

🙏🏼

thank you!

You to Me

Learning
In a bottle of perfume
You are the heart note.
In a cup of coffee
You are the acidity.
In a full course meal
You are the entree.
In a life of a human
You are the love.

——

stronger with YOU

Sweetness of Heart

Learning, Poetic, This Person
My life is sugar cane
That I chew in summer day
Before singing.

My life is honeycomb
That I suck in rainy day
Before whistling.

My life is a bowl of ice cream
That I dig in on a quiet day
Before humming.

My life is sweetness of heart
That I choose
Before resting.

——

i wish to be back someday to enjoy it in summer 💕

A Head In A Table

Learning
This head, Beloved
Is full of colours
That suck all memories
To an abandoned landfill
Where poems dance in joy
Recycling precious moments
Into glowing beads
Jingling around a neck,
Chuckling on millions of love wishes
That scatter on a table.

——

yeah! this is one busiest corner of my head everyday! messy yet full of love 💕😀

Dress Up

Learning, Poetic
Dress up,
Beloved
Even when you work remotely.
Dress up,
Beloved
Even when you’re alone in the cubicle.
Dress up,
Beloved
Even among the crowd; wave your hands with genuine smiles.
Dress up,
Beloved
Even if your style’s outlandish; be busy with how your story can go.

There’s sun spotting your colours.
There’s wind kissing your scent.
There’s moon drawing your silhouette.
There’re stars showering you with breathing confetti.

——

all my path is catwalk on which i walk presenting a designer’s masterpiece — no excuse of low performance, any chance to walk is to display the best of my designer’s pride

my style is work of art that might be differently interpreted and appreciated — it doesn’t matter, people see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear although they can’t lie to themselves

i love my style more and more everyday

♥️

Happy Together

Learning, love, Poetic
Walking the aisle
Two smiling earthlings can’t stop waving hands
To us
Who wonder
“They were toddlers we hugged,
Now they read solemn vow?”
It is a happy day
When we pray, laugh and eat together
Witnessing happiness that proceeds.

——

Matt, my best friend’s youngest son is getting married today! Matt and Cheer, Tante Rike happy for you 😘😘😘 send me all our pictures ♥️

cheering with groom’s mama after eating 😂 day is good with those looking forward to bright days ♥️

The Poem

Learning, Poetic
My poem for you
Is not in the words.
My poem for you
Sits on the bed of this heart.
The words that you recite
Is what language can say
About what is still,
Admiring you from a secret place
That keeps everything
And keeps flowing.

——

some poem is better utterred on canvas

a small play for a toilet at home; an intermezzo to take a break from the gift painting in progress

Love ‘Coz It’s Time

Learning, love, Poetic
There’s a crook
I can’t understand.
It is when I saw
You in silence
And said in heart
“I find no reason in 
You for me to love but
What is this emotion?”
There’s another
I can understand.
It is when I felt
A warm summer
And said in heart
“There’s enough reason to love
You in silence
That forever blooms.”

No reason is needed to love
For love is blind.
Yet there’s reason to keep the love
For love is the only kind.

It’s time
When it’s time.

——

my orchids after one week left home alone

welcome! my orchids have taught me that flowers bloom when it’s time; not to be seen, not to be picked, not to be admired; they’re blooming simply to bloom — there’s only one reason to understand: it’s time

what is her ID? unknown and still beautifully blooming

with a line of my white shirts hanging as the background, this oncidium is gonna be yellow

another stem of oncidium waiting for its timing to greet me with yellow

dendrobium peeps again — thank you

dendrobium from the same cluster in the same pot that keeps greeting me with health and happiness

Dear Omiyage

Learning, love, Poetic
You’re my best omiyage
From wherever Nihon
I visit.
You’re my desperate love songs
I sing
From wherever corner of the world
I sit.
You’re my sweet mystery
That I can never solve.
Why
Oh why,
Dear
Omiyage?

I present
You to only
Those that I love.

Wrapped in white
Ribboned in red
Wished in indigo

Dear
Omiyage

——

Japanese omiyage is the same tradition of Javanese oleh-oleh in which local souvenirs are brought for others after traveling to a specific place or simply when visiting. So it is not just random souvenirs, omiyage or oleh-oleh is a token of experience sharing and caring friendship from someone to someone else.

A sweet gesture that will be perfect when done with sincerity and mindfulness—

Salaam.

Niigata rice, the best omiyage for good friends this time — humble ladies, see you tomorrow 🙏🏼

About omiyage

Ride The Life, Don’t Fly

Learning, Poetic
I used to fly the life
Faster and quieter,
Passing by blue sky,
White clouds over the lands and oceans.
Yet now I ride mine
Slower and merrier,
Passing greenery and buildings.
I heard others chat and laugh;
I am not curious about the convo
But I enjoy the laughter.
I will arrive slightly later 
But happier,
Friendlier,
And luckier.

——

riding Shinkansen is more exciting than flying, I used to fly from one city to another in Japan but not anymore although recommended for some areas — always get new things in each ride! 💝

i feel lucky always and today i see same combinations of numbers appeared repeatedly that has made me feel even luckier — although i don’t know, i prefer to believe that it is a good sign before i forget it 😄

844

Hakutaka 555 departed at 844

sometimes i am superstitious 😁

yet i thank him for making some of my superstition sound scientific 😁

Just Believe

Learning, Poetic
Do you believe sun will rise in the east?
I don’t need to believe because I know it does.

Do you believe your mother will love you unconditionally?
I believe it? I know she does.

Do you believe love will guarantee your happiness?
I do believe it will.
Why?
I do believe because I don’t know.

——

i know Doraemon has a magical pouch from which he pulls all what he needs to either solve problems or to entertain Nobita — i believe he will give Nobita lessons learnt to wise up including giving him rather dangerous disaster, yet i know it is just a story

i believe i need to replace my Doraemon bag with one cuter one as i know someone would love to use this Doraemon bag for her weekend hangout 😀

Surrender

Bob, Learning, life, love, Map It!, Poetic, This Person
With no white towel
I surrender
To the realm that hugs this heart.
I am water flowing
With no effort
To the ocean that waits for this mind.
How would this name
Say no to a call that sings love songs?
I submit everything
With a smile
And grace.
Body, mind, spirit and soul—

-

Jun 10, 2023
when the air taps my whole reality
with everything subtle and overwhelming

——

please excuse my strong arms 😀

after the Tapa Brata my classmates and I are still escorted to meditate everyday of 60 minutes for 90 days

it should be 36th day today but i only have 33 days in which i am able to do full meditation — in fact my doctor was quite surprised that unbelievable progress is indicated in better numbers from the laboratory test result after i meditate regularly — happy tears 🥹

my health is much better with calmness that is on track and harmonious thought that builds gradually

i’ve registered to next level Tapa Brata next Sep so i can get more benefits to help certain issues in this beloved aging body and to strengthen my mind

can’t wait to meet with the wise teachers who guide us and humble caretakers who help us with daily needs in Forest Island 🥰

i don’t know for sure what i can share from my achievement through meditation yet maybe someday i can help others reduce health complaints at low cost — i’ve always wanted to cure diseases with fragrance and herbs; my high intelligent friends said “pseudoscience, a crap wrapped in fancy paper”, i said “it doesn’t matter at least i can help them feel calmer and think positive”

all what happen in my life are like magic both the unexpected and expected — i hope my meditation brings more good magical celebrations to me and my beloved family and friends

and all…

May All Beings Be Happy

💕

Scent of Flowing Air

Learning, Poetic
No scent is missed,
No inhaled air is empty.
The scent is a box of coloured mist
To bring in imagery.

These nostrils celebrate days
Through haling the loaded air
And propelling power through stories,
Millions of stories shared.

——

can’t leave without scent, good or bad

and its evolving fragrance, softened before dried

sadly this leaf was not so nicely scented 🙏🏼 thrown away

batik has a good scent as it is washed with lerak (soap berry)

frangipani, a flower that is popular as graveyard flower in Java island ♥️ sweet fragrance of the death

i miss the scent of the thin air by the rice field under the blue sky 💝

Pearls in A Strand of Friendship

Learning, love, Poetic, Those People
How’s life, dear pearls of friendship?
Your shadow flashed in the tips of these eyes
All of a sudden.
I wish you all good heart
That shines
Through the orbits
Of all friendly comets
That travel the universe
Bringing verses
About love and friendship
That last forever
With the expanding universe.
You are truly loved
And missed….

——

Brisbane 2017 with Mbak Wien, my friend back in uni the only person able to make me sit in a club for almost 5 hours in a riverbank of a Brisbane river (not sure what river it was though), yet she was not successful to make me drink but jugs of orange juice

a loving daughter and sister, a wife of a kind man, a mother of 2 brilliant boys, a rather crazy friend

when will i see you again? maybe some day when i’m back to down under

God bless you 💝 and all my dear friends 💝

Everlasting Again

Learning
I’ll live not only 1000 lives,
I’ve lived forever.
I love not only my whole life,
I love everlastingly.

How can I not love the life
Giving me chance to meet you
Again
And
Again
And
Again?

I won’t though beg for another again
If again will end the love
To the now and here.

See you again
In now and here,
Better one
I know not where.

——

the way you treat me will not change my feeling to you; yet will not shorten my distance from you either — love is only for love, never for hatred 💝

Between Two Times

Learning, Poetic
Once upon a time
A seed turned to a fruit
In between two times.
It celebrated its confusion
Of losing itself in every phase.
Why am I soft, while
I was hard?
Why am I hanging, while
I was buried?
Why can’t I remember where
I came from?
How can I know which
Is the truest of me?
The fruit ripened in blue
Fell out weathered.
Rotten
Dried
Cracked
Seeds scattered
Sprouted
Grew taller.
Would the seed forget who she was again?

Once upon a time
A tree remembered who
Greeted the boughs
Harvested the best
Celebrated the flesh
Threw away the seeds who then 
Grew.
It was not an expression of “once again”
Not the same seed
Yet the seed
Of the same tree.
Still the same—

No mourning
Nothing is lost, yet
Nothing is forever.
Knowing is time travel or
A review of history or
A humble diary.
Just wait for one moment to see.
Life is just like that.

——-

from Pinterest

Peeling Onion

Learning, Poetic
How strong?
As strong as money
Which can buy travel vouchers for holiday
And it helps draw long list of visited sites;
A list that shows to the world
That experience comes with style.
Unfortunately some might be just albums of photos with forgotten moment and lost meaning.
Still travelers travel farther than homebody
Who stays in front of TV learning about all countries,
Yet more thoroughly and vibrantly
Even able to write vibrantly. Look at Karl May!
You mean to understand different places
Doesn’t need real traveling?
Might be?
So what’s the strength of money?
Aah! Not that strong in fact.
Wait!
It is still strong.
Not the strongest though!
So,
Is money a lethal weapon?
I know not, said I,
I know not.
Anymore.

How weak?
As weak as fibrous roots
Which can’t give trees strong anchorage
And they give little supplies of food to the deep interior.
Yet fibrous roots don’t destroy building foundation.
Fibrous roots are good for sloping area, 
They help prevent soil erosion.
They are not weak.
At least not that weak!
So,
Are fibrous roots the weakest anchor?
I know not, said I,
I know not.
Anymore.

Aah! Cry, cry
For losing the stance.
Let the tears dry.
Let each layer dry,
When it dries, it is becoming skin
Until all are.

It is just like that
Like peeling onion.

——

from Pinteres

Misunderstood

Learning, Poetic
Welcome,
Travelers
To my humble abode.
May you sit,
There is chair to enjoy.
May you stand,
There is painting to enjoy.
This lobby,
A place for every guest
To enjoy the best spread
Of food and beverage.
My kitchen
Is not,
Unfortunately.

Welcome, fellow travelers.
Leave when your storm ends.

——

My best friends once reminded me of how I should be afraid of being misunderstood and my response to them was “I am ok to be misunderstood by those who don’t have enough knowledge and/or love to understand who I am and what I am doing.”

They still say the same thing in different ways. I answer the same way.

Thank you.

💝

Pigeon Orchids

Learning, Poetic
Like pigeon
But not flying,
It spreads fragrance
Along the road I am on everyday.
This sense is trained
To breathe scent.
I am walking
Like pigeon.

——

all these years i thought only this tree is where my favourite pigeon orchid “lives”

i thought only this cluster!

even this morning i thought only this one! i kissed these

walking to the bus stop, i saw a lot more! on that tree across the street

in the tree ahead of me!

in another tree!

and another tree!

then i started seeing the pigeon orchids in almost all of trees along my favourite road! i am so blessed!

Misplaced

Learning
Dear, coachman. 
How can you 
Place 
The horses 
Behind the chaise? 

The sky is darker, 
It is going to rain, 
You like it or not, 
The chaise must be drawn.

——

only if the horses are at the front, the carriage will move on; it is not a VW Beetle, dear self 😁

Whereabout

Learning, Poetic
You
Are the beats in my heart.
Whereabout your heart
Am I in?

You
Are the water of a vase.
Whereabout your vase
Am I of?

You
Are the -ness at my nothing.
Whereabout your thing
Am I at?

There is silence,
And it answers me through.
I am nowhere about
You.

—

when the water is gone, all is dead — only dried leaves and air 🙏🏼

May I?

Learning
May I
Sing a sweet song
With
You
Under glowing stars shooting
To leave their age?

May I
Sit silently
With
You
Under a quiet dusk rolling
To welcome dawn?

May I
Count the sheep
With
You
Under a dreamy night shining
To light a hope?

May I?

—-

may I eat gyoza? left over from last batch — so pleasing to eat my own food, almost like heaven 😁

Thanksgiving’s Day

Learning, Poetic
They celebrate it
Annually.
I
Daily
Thank
For all
Even if a bit salty.

—-

i dissolve sadness with cooking 💝👍🏽

they use Botox to keep good skin, I bothok 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

yum! a little but too salty, i added another sprinkle of salt

all in less than one hour — not icl the steaming process though

another Javanese bayleaf

😍

Javanese bayleaf

banana leaf is expensive here so even using the yellowed one doesn’t make me undignified 😀 when i was a child, i harvested it for free for play

bothok recipe: tempe, grated coconut, dried anchovy, shallot, garlic, chili, galangal, Javanese bayleaf, spring onion, salt and brown sugar

Stars

Learning
There are billions of stars
Swimming in the dark.
They are born and will die
After completing their spark.

With centers the stars travel
Flying as strong as sky larks.
They reach some terminal
Even without visible landmarks.

There’s a captain in the cockpit,
Pulled by a federation out there.
Stars won’t easily quit
Unless there’s a common end to share.

Journey of a star

—-

Captain Picard — favourite capt 👍🏽

Mr. Spock 👍🏽 — favourite crew

✨

Surprisingly Survives

Learning, Poetic
Surprise!
Said she
Showing the hopeless
That
Survival is about adaptability
Welcomed by nature,
Approved by resolution,
Driven by muscles,
Enjoyed by senses.
I’m gonna be yellow!

—-

can you see the spike of oncidium (must be yellow) at the left? i saw it when sitting on the toilet enjoying my good time 😀— suddenly the beauty struck me! 😍 thank you! 🙏🏼 i’ll be patient waiting for you to bloom 💛

she used to be one of balcony gang members and was about to pass as the original media (wood bark and charcoal) started decaying; her new home is now shower room in a glass flower vase; media is sponge, charcoal and water 😍