Arid Land, His Heart

I never want to hurt myself, I just didn’t know who you are.
I got hurt by a cactus in a desert
Who pricks little fingers,
Who just want to touch this life softly,
Not hurting, not taking anything away.


Wounded, I decided to blame stupidity:
Why did I have to have to have to have to have to just touch cacti? I should have left that arid land long before I touched a prickly spirit.


A delayed regret is less important than a lesson learned but it always gives a story the most significant pivot.


Now
I’ll just admire from here
From where I stand
With millions of prayers
For a secret journey.
Yet I know you are a ghost days and nights.


Someday when I pour down the rain,
You’ll know.
Love is as sweet as water in drought—
Maybe—
If it is not late....

May all beings be happy.

Circle – haiku

Moving a circle,
Connecting two dots: She is
Making a Zen Art.

 

 

I am the one holding Zen Art T-shirt and Zen Art painting. The smiling lady is the artist – the one making the Zen Art.

Chiang Mai, Thailand – September 16, 2016 – 00:30am

Greek’s 40th Days Leaving Us Behind

40 days ago our dear cat lady, Greek went across the bridge and today we are remembering her being part of us.

 

She was such a beauty, dignity yet rebel and free soul. Oh yeah, free soul she was! She would hunt anytime she wanted and brought the hunted to us as gifts: grasshopper, flies, dragonflies, lizard, birds name it she would be proud of her hunting skill.

 

Once we had a guest with one teenager who was trying to protect the hunted bird – the bird was still alive, very weak and desperate – our guest freed the bird and Greek was in rage! She didn’t attack but she wouldn’t stop wandering around the house shouting until my Mother took the tiny cat to her hugs. She was calming in my mother’s hands.

 

Greek was such a love to all of us. Everybody poured her with abundant love and care. My Brother would always ask “Where is Greek?” everytime he visited my mom. My nephews and nieces would have the same question.

 

But Greek wouldn’t love children. She was scared of those rascals’ shouting and cheering and jumping and being too excited. Then she would stay away the whole day giving up the food. She would be back when all those kids were gone. My mom would be worried….

 

Greek was an alarm clock for my Mother. She would wake her up especially for night prayer. She would kiss my Mother to wake her up. Failed with kisses, she would scratch my mother’s body. Failed with the scratches, she would step on my mother’s head with her soft meows. My mother would prepare food and pray accompanied by the tiny alarm clock.

 

Greek was also great sleeper. She would sleep when the rest of us worked!

 

And a great eater…. Pick great eater! She didn’t take not fresh food. All of her food must be fresh from the storage. She would not eat her own leftover. All must be new! And new it was for our beloved princess Greek.

 

Greek, too many things we save in our memory about her.

 

You are loved. You are remembered.

 

We know you leave us as you wished. You made the decision and we just felt the broken heart to say goodbye.

 

Greek, your graveyard is just some steps from our backdoor. We can visit you whenever we want. We first got so sad but you always came once in while making sure that we are ok and we now realize that you were leaving clean and happy.

 

Please send our loving regards to Bob, Grace, Greece, Greg, and all other beloved animals you meet and greet there across the rainbow bridge.

 

Please cut your worry. We are praying for your good. Please pray for us, too.

Now your friends are sitting in our porch Everyday but they don’t want to stay home like you. They come to have meal and sleep somewhere we don’t know. Please make sure they are fine, our angel…..

 

Greek, this is your 40th days leaving us. You will be our guiding light, won’t you?

Till we meet again, my dear. Love you soooooooo much!!! Warm regards from me, Ibu, Mbak Andri, Mbak Yuda, Mas Yogi and all…. The rainbow slides are ready….! Woohooo!

Yogyakarta – June 19, 2016 -10:30am

Silent Chinese New Year – 2015

I’ve got a long weekend for Chinese New Year will fall on Friday and Saturday. And, ’ve got an even longer weekend since my company grant us two more days off on Monday and Tuesday so that Chinese colleagues can enjoy more time with their family. Six days! Thanks, Tim!   🙂

Just going back to Jakarta last week to enjoy the Kenduri Cinta in Taman Ismail Marizuki so I decided not to go home to Indonesia this time with some reasons: expensive ticket, short period of holiday (inconsistent with my earlier statement that this weekend is long even very long weekend), time to contemplate….

Expensive ticket is a kind of trend. In holiday season many Singaporeans fly out. The bigger the demand, the higher the price. So be it. It might not be a problem because we can buy economy seat or use frequent flyer points to get a ticket but it won’t worth the time enjoyed…. It is a long weekend indeed but my home is not around Jakarta anymore and so it takes longer travel time. Now I like going back to my mom’s home where family reside including those cats that – I believe – miss me so much 🙂

So, long weekend short…. And I want it to be a silent year start – Chinese year….

Screen Shot 2015-02-18 at 4.07.34 pm

Need a stationary time. Noble silence. No work, no chat, no talk, just me. Won’t call it “me time” because it is not for me, it is for…. I don’t know whom it is for – I just wanna do it. 🙂

Noble silence and creative contemplation will be the proper terminology. Will be enjoying the long weekend in this city country. Known already it’s gonna be short in feeling….

Equipped with a sketch book, a box of color pencils, photography tools and an EZ-link card I’ll wander around this island…. And, see what I can generate at the end.

Assalamu’alaikum….

Singapore – February 18, 2015 – 3:51pm

Picture borrowed from http://www.therufus.com/product/rumi-on-silence-poster/