Updates

Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding just passed. Now, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall look set to have a great time ahead.

Well wishes to them.

On another note, the Lower Six are coming in a week's time. So quick, Time flies.

Also, I've got a nice surprise present from my brother in his recent return (which was today) -  another John Maxwell publication, The Difference Maker. The book's tagline is: "Making your attitude your greatest asset."

I just started reading it and hopefully, it might just allow me to put up something on my blog.Maybe a normal post, or maybe an all-new Entry.

And speaking of which, I must thank you all humbly or your positive comments on my Entries! Honestly, I didn't expect to get such rave 'reviews' in such a short time. Don't worry, I'll churn out some more (if my literary side is in motion) for your reading pleasure.

Gotta go now.  Dinner beckons. Cheers!

Collective Souls' You

Time, I always need more time

To figure what I've lost, to learn what I should find

Soon, I'm always hoping soon

I'll figure what to add, I'll learn what to remove

New sunrise, new sunsets

New stories I haven't lived through yet

With you, it's always been you

There's never been good days

There's never been bad days without you

Choose, I'm always made to choose

I'll figure what to share, I'll learn from what I've used

New sunrise, new sunsets

New promises I haven't made quite yet

To you, it's always been you

There's never been good days

There's never been bad days without you

Yeah, there's never been a day without you

Yeah, there's never been a day

There's never been a night without you

You, it's always been you

There's never been good days

There's never been bad days without you

It's always been you

There's never those good days

There's never those bad days without you 

Entries

Another stop

The train needs a rest

I sit outside

On one of many benches

As I flip through

An old photo album

Harley, the little kitten

Is sitting at my feet

Licking its paw

Nothing much to do

Nor to see

For a cat like him

Footsteps from behind

I turn and see

A familiar face

A smiling man

Dressed neatly in black

"Sit with me, friend"

I tell the stranger

And he does so

With a nod of thanks

"Ah, memories"

Says he, looking at the album

I grin, sheepishly

"Of a bygone era," I reply

He laughs

"Nevertheless

As you reminisce

On those times

Times of joy and laughter

Times of merriment

They will only seem like yesterday"

He looks at

A picturesque scene

Of friendship

By the beach

Pointing out, he asks

"When was this?"

I smile at the memory

"The LTC in 2008"

I said to him

As I recalled those days

"Teluk Batik

A great time it was

Full of seemingly endless joy

Of lasting friendships forged

Of silly little moments

Of laugh-out-loud ones too

Of fun and games

Of staying up late

Of cracking jokes

Learning new lessons

The list goes on"

The stranger nods

Fully attentive

Absorbing everything I say

When I am done

He speaks:

"Ever thought of a reunion?"

I laugh

"Not at the moment

Though I've always thought of one

Everyone is away

From where I am

And only a handful

Are close by"

"Well then,"

He said, thoughtfully

Only a moment later

(Does he compute everything

So quickly in his mind?)d

"Just remember

They are far at sight

But close at heart

Though the distance is great

And though Time keeps us

From staying in touch

Frequently

At least remember

You are still their friends

As they are yours

Never forget

Friendship takes time to build

But when it is built

It lasts a lifetime"

"Take heart

In time, you all will be reunited

Not at the moment

But in future

This as much

I am sure"

He pats me on the back

Gently

With a warm smile

His trademark smile

"I have to leave now

But you do have other visitors"

He stood up

My eyes following him

As he walks away

I notice some friends

Headed my way

And they wave

Frantically

I wave back

Still smiling

As the day comes to a close

I pen it all down

And I make sure

I reminisce the good ol' days

Reminisce the glorious past

Reminisce

Words

Who says I can’t be free?

From all of the things that I used to be

Rewrite my history

Who says I can’t be free?

But to rewrite history

Would not be easy

What has been written

Cannot be easily changed

To alter the ending

What must one do?

Maybe it is right

To carry on

With your plans

Your actions

Even when they said

You would be undone

Just take it as a sign

You can still go on

And carry on

No matter what they say

Or if the worst is yet to come

Make that change

Words

Everyone has a path to take

But is it the right one?

So the good boys and girls

Take the so called right track

Faded white hats

Grabbing credits

Maybe transfers

They read all the books

But they can't find the answers

And all of our parents

They're getting older

I wonder if they've wished

For anything better

While in their memories

Tiny tragedies

Our destiny

Is in our hands

We need to make the first move

But of course

Plan ahead first

And stay focused

Have no fear for giving in

Have no fear for giving over

You better know that in the end

It’s better to say too much

Than never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking

And your faith is broken

Even as your eyes are closing

Go on with a heart wide open

Entries

The train has slowed

Slowed so much

It almost feels

Like I'm not moving

I sit there

All alone in the cabin

Save the little kitten

Sleeping in my lap

A little companion to keep me warm

Courtesy of the stranger

"May it charm you with its antics"

It's raining outside

The pitter patter of the rain

Muffled

As it hits the window

And the roof

It echoes

All around me

I place Harley

(As it was named)

Next to me

As I stood up

And walked out of the cabin

The conductor tells me

The train's low on fuel

And to make sure it didn't run out

Had to slow down

Slow down

To almost a crawl

"Least I can do," he adds

The conductor

A fresh new face

I've only traded few words

With him initially

But he seemed

A nice person

One I might be able

To confide in

Might, of course

I pat him on the back

He looks at me

His eyes gazing intently

He asks me

"May I ask a question?"

I am surprised

But I nod

"I am your conductor

To help you see the journey

To help you plot the course

Across this endless landscape

And I tell you now

I don't believe in Fate

Or the fact

Fate deals the cards"

I chuckle

"Fate?" I say

"I didn't realize

You knew me so well

But I do think Fate

Is unpredictable

That maybe

Every move we make

Even if it is not what we planned to

Has all been planned

By Fate"

He smiled

"I'm supposed to

But Fate

Only controls us

If we let it"

It almost seemed

Like the stranger was here

With me right now

A lingering sense

Of deja vu

"Look, the road ahead is tough

I can tell you that

And I know you know

Very well

But all we need

Is faith

Do you have faith?"

I sighed

"Of course

But it's not strong enough"

The conductor smiled

He brought his hand out

"Then have faith

In me

And we'll go far

You and I

Hand in hand

Not just as companions

But as brothers

Brothers-in-arms

For I have faith in you

So why not?"

His move truly surprised me

But he was genuine

I could tell

He was a rare gem

He was unique

And he was one

I could confide in

Not 'might' anymore

So I took his hand

"Why not?"

I replied

And we laughed together

Two brothers-in-arms

Much later

The train was back on track

Now I sit in my cabin

Not alone

Harley pawing

At a ball of yarn

Me and the conductor

Sharing a joke or two

Sharing stories

As Life went on by

So I pen it all down

And I make sure

I treasure this bond of faith

Treasure our bond of faith

Treasure

I told him

"I forgot

To ask for your name"

The conductor smiled

"How forgetful of me

In all the revelry

I forget the most important thing of all"

He patted me firmly

On the shoulder

His grin still wide

"Just call me RJ"

Updates

Read Alex Morris' blog just a while ago, and was shocked to hear of the passing of Brian Chee, an ex-Michaelian from Alex's batch when he was in Form 5.

Requiescant in pace, friend.

In the meantime, as the rest of us continue with our lives, I can't help but wonder: what does tomorrow hold for us?

If tomorrow never comes, and we knew it wouldn't, how would we spend the final moments of our life?

Makes you wonder.

Entries

The train goes on

I pace the carriages

Alone

The silence deafening

The sound of my shoes

Piercing the silence

Loudly

"Well, aren't you a loner,"

A voice said

From behind me

I turned, and shuddered

The Devil sat there

Looking unimpressed

Prim and proper

In a dapper tuxedo

His tail waving menacingly

"What?" he said

A puzzled look on his face

"Never seen the Devil before?

Well worry not

I'm just here to help

A lonely soul like you

To get through

This... boring train ride"

He stood from his seat

"The old stranger

Thinks you really can control

Your whole destiny

Face it, kid

You're a mess!

You're worse than a toddler

And I know you know

That fact very well"

He sneered

"But, no fear

All you need to do

Is ask

And ye shall receive"

A curt bow

And a fickle smile

The Devil was driving a hard bargain

And a bargain it was

"Everything you could imagine

Your entire Life

Right at your fingertips

No hassle, no fuss

No more trouble"

He held it

In his palm

Outstretched

"Don't you want that?"

How could I resist?

The Devil laughed

"What a fool you are!

Truly all mortals

Just like you

Give in to their greed

Just to get what they cannot!"

He was so close

Too close

The train nearly derailed

The lights went out

And as I woke

The Devil had already gone

"The Devil is full of wiles"

Said the stranger

Sitting by my side

"Fall not to his trickery

Or it will mean the death of you

Like how you almost died

Barely moments ago"

"If he had won," I asked

Trembling where I sat

"What then?"

"Your journey

Would take you straight

To damnation

Do you want that?

To live an eternity in hell?

Stay strong

Have faith

And you will do fine"

As the train

Began to depart

Once more, on this journey

I pen it all down

And I make sure

I learn my lesson well

Learn this lesson well

Learn

John Mayer's Who Says

A one, two, three

Who says I can’t get stoned, turn off the lights and the telephone

Me in my house alone, who says I can’t get stoned

Who says I can’t be free, from all of the things that I used to be

Rewrite my history, who says I can’t be free

It’s been a long night in New York City

It’s been a long night in Baton Rouge

I don’t remember you looking any better

But then again I don’t remember you

Who says I can’t get stoned, call up a girl that I used to know

Fake love for an hour or so, who says I can’t get stoned

Who says I can’t take time, meet all the girls in the county line

Wait on fate to send a sign, who says I can’t take time

It’s been a long night in New York City

It’s been a long night in Austin too

I don’t remember you looking any better

But then again I don’t remember you

Who says I can’t get stoned, plan a trip to Japan alone

Doesn’t matter if I even go, who says I can’t get stoned

It’s been a long night in New York City

It’s been a long time since twenty-two

I don’t remember you looking any better

But then again I don’t remember, don’t remember you

Entries

The train yet moves

And I sit there

Enjoying a drink

Taking in the views

Outside the window

"It's so beautiful out there," she says

A smile creased on her lips

She took me by the hand

"Can we go out there?

And play in the snow?

I've always wanted to"

I smiled widely

She was hard to resist

"Of course," I told her

And she giggled

The way she always does

Never did I expect

To find myself in the company

Of a new friend

The stranger had long gone

On his ride

I wonder how he is now

But Time has gone by

So quickly

I vaguely recall the day

I met him

But now she's here

She's here to keep me happy

And calm

And contented

And to me

That would suffice

Outside

Time almost seemed

Non-existent

As we built snowmen

Pelted each other with snowballs

Riding on a sled

Laughing all the way

The aurora came up at night

And we sat

Around the campfire

Birdsongs heard in the woods

We sat there

In silence

As nature unveiled her beauty

"I wish everyday was like this"

She whispered in my ear

As she drifted into sleep

"I wish for the same," I tell her

We sat there

As the day faded to a close

Morning light

As the train moves on

Alone I am now

As the view blurs past

She's gone

She's gone now

But Life has to go on

Always did she say

"Greener pastures are out there

And I hope to lay there

In the grass

As the breeze blows softly

From dawn to dusk"

I guess

She has gone to look

For those greener pastures

Would she be back?

I have my doubts

Life is all too short

To expect anything

The least I can do now

Is to keep going on

So I pen it all down

And I make sure

I cherish these memories

Cherish our memories

Cherish

Words

To quote Mayer:

"Everyone believes

In how they think it ought to be

Everyone believes

And they're not going easily

Everyone believes

From emptiness to everything

Everyone believes

And no one's going quietly"

Believing

In our principles

In our ethics

In our moral code

We need beliefs

Or else

We would all

Be easily swayed

By the words of others

Belief

Keeps us in line

Makes us think

Of what is right

And what is not

Belief

It has its good

But it has its own bad

Unless

We can embrace

The other's beliefs

If we could

Wouldn't Earth

Be so much better

Than what it is now?

Entries

(Now I'm no lit buff but I do like being prosaic with my words, whether or not it does follow the literary standards all poets and writers are wont to follow. Still, these 'Entries' are a little different compared to my previous 'Words' posts. The 'Entries' are something like a summary of the many things I have gone through, and is not published in chronological order save the first post. Leave your comments on what you think of it and what of your interpretations of the posts)

My life is passing by

So much faster than I thought

As the days pass me by

I lose myself

As I view the scenery

From behind the window

"This train just keeps going, son,"

So the stranger tells me

As he sits in his chair

Watching the world outside

"You better look out

Because the train

Doesn't have a final stop

Neither for you or me"

"Well, stop this train," I said to him

"I want to get off

And go back again

I can't take the speed it's moving in

I know I can't, but honestly

Won't someone stop this train?"

He gave me a look

And he smiled softly

"Slow down," he told me

"You move too fast

You gotta make this life of yours last

So jog down the cobblestones

Look for fun

And go and feel groovy"

The notion is true

Life is a rollercoaster

But I just can't be riding it

Shouldn't I be taking control?

Taking the wheel

And drive

"Of course!" he exclaimed

"Life is not a movie

One in the theaters

That you watch from the seats

You are the actor

And the script is yours

Feel free to edit it"

"Just like the train you're on

You're the conductor

When you want it fast

You make it fast

When you want to slow down

You slow it down

You have to take the wheel"

"Whatever tomorrow brings

Just be there

With open arms

And open eyes

You can change how things are

It's just a matter of knowing

Where, what and when"

The train began to slow

And I realized

It was like what he said

"And you?" I asked him

He laughed

A merry tone to his voice

"I'm still going on

But for now

You alight here

The next train's for you

And then you will know

What it's like

To be the conductor"

He waved me goodbye

And as I stepped off

I could hear him shout

"All aboard!"

And the train began to move

And sped off

On the next train

The journey continues

As I view the scenery

From behind the window

Thinking of the stranger's words

It would be best if I can do something

About this

While I'm on the road

So I pen it all down

And I make sure

I remember those words

Remember his words

Remember

Updates

The Lower Six are coming in on the 9th of May, so they say. Well, if that's true, we must give them a warm welcome.

And then, the mid-year exam is on the following week. Damn! Talk about bad timing. Still, that's no excuse to shun one's duties. And homework. Darn.

On another note, the "Who You Are Makes A Difference Campaign" has finally (finally!) been officiated. The first wave will start very soon and I have high hopes in the project's success. Hopefully, it'll instill the sense of appreciation for those who have been with us through thick and thin.

Oh, and my birthday is coming up, too. I have to admit that I'm curious as to whether anyone would celebrate it in school.

Nah. The exams are only next week. Besides, the Council needs to prep themselves for the Orientation Week. The tasks at hand are not as easy as they sound. Might as well I just celebrate it with the family. That would suffice.

And once that's over, maybe we can do some projects for the Voice of Students programme before we retire and hand over. Yeah, that would sound good.

Sigh. Work beckons now.

Words

Time is going by

So much faster than I

And I'm starting to regret

Not saying so many things to you

So if I haven't yet

Please listen

I'm leaving so soon

Never had a chance to bloom

And I was too quick

To change my tune

I've been like a rock

An island

Isolated from you, specifically

And I don't care if you don't care

Honestly

I don't know what to say now

Don't know where to start

I don't know how to handle

This complicated heart

On one hand

I am justified

On the other hand

I am wrought with guilt

Guilt of what?

I'm not so sure

Apologies have been said

But have they ever carried their weight?

Sorry has become

A cliché

Overused

An excuse to repeat the same mistakes

Even when I never meant that

It has become a norm

So do I have anything left?

I never imagined

I'd find this chance

But lose myself in the end

I just never pictured it would end

I used to believe in love

I used to believe in something bigger

Than what I had

I wanna go back to the days

The days when I stayed the same

Before all this happened

But don't look back

If I'm a weight around your neck

Haven't I always been?

So goodbye to you

Goodbye to everything

That I do

There was a time so long ago

When you were the one

I tried to hold on to

But say goodbye

Those days are gone

The present harkens us

To focus on more pressing matters

Let's move on

Time and tide

Waits for no one

And we cannot bear

To be swept away

On the tides

I wish you well