Her heart braved the sun and rain
Her soul endured the scorn and pain
For the sake of her motherland
With all the strength she had in hand
In eyes of many, she came the last
But to her nation, she made a blast
Her heart was bigger than a game
For she fought fiercely for her nation's name
For there is more in a competition
Than just a pot and consolation
You need to follow the voice of your call
To beat the high end of your goal
You don't just run to print your trace
You also run to finish you race
Whether you stumble or you fall
You need to conquer the heart of your soul
*Inspired by a Cambodian female runner in the SEA Games*
May 11, 2022
Currencies
temples grace the cambodian sky
residents on a street talk to their gods
rice sold in the marketplace
a road along a single river
residents on a street talk to their gods
conversations streaming the air
a road along a single river
currents of lives ever-flow
conversations streaming the air
histories to always bear
currents of lives ever-flow
coins passed hand-to-hand
histories to always bear
stories of an ancient land
coins passed hand-to-hand
temples grace the cambodian sky
The city- Battenberg, Cambodia
What you do for me hasn't been done in quite some time, what you do is provide a feeling that I lost & didn't think I would find, no matter what's going on your voice makes it better, & when I realized that my heart said you got to go get her, then you had me thinking about the days past tommorow & trying to figure out how to ask for your future to borrow, I think I'm addicted to your smile & laugh, your skin is soft like you took a Cambodian breast milk bath, your body is a temple, I was in a dark place met you started climbing out, you were instrumental, actions speak louder than words so these stanzas are just a interview I was so nervous writing this but I got it out, whew
I spoke to a Cambodian,
Proud of his country he said
"I left the country because of poverty
half the country are wealthy
but the other half, live in poverty
we don't have benefits
but people know how to make money
sometimes they work
for just two dollars per day
yet in a country like Australia
veterans sit on the streets
the homeless out in the cold
your people he said
have all the money and yet you waste it
you waste it on drugs
you waste it on alcohol
you waste it on gambling"
I came away from the conversation
feeling guilty for my country
he's right, with poverty they struggle
but they can stand proud
if they don't do the drugs
if they don't do the alcohol
how much violence comes from drinking
I thought, how is it, that a man
can work, for just two dollars a day
our people fought for better wages,
the world has a lot to learn
Brangelina, the quasar, came to a motel
Of a small Cambodian village
Where smog was spread all over.
As they entered their room
They felt abodaroma infesting the room.
As they looked down to the floor
There were shoop stains all over
As they did not take off their shoes.
Brad had an urge to go to washrum
He opened the door, but needed Clorox
As the washrum has become smelldorado
Brad had vomitrocious feelings
Added more stains on the floor.
Angelina snarked on spitting Brad.
“Cut, the camlit off” Authovoice heard
“Shooting will resume tomorrow sharp
At 5 in the morning”
+++
August 18, 2014
Form: Verse -
Theme:portmanteaus
Dr. Ram Mehta
Sixth Place Win
Contest:portmanteaus by Debbie Guzzi
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Portmanteaus words used in the poem:
Brangelina (Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie)
quasar (quasi-stellar + star)
smog (smoke + fog)
abodaroma (a play on "abode" and "aroma"):
Shoop – shoes with dog’s pooh
Washrum – wash – room
Clorox
smelldorado
Vomitrocious – Vomit – Atrocious
Snark – Snide-remark
Camlit- camera + light
Authovoice- Authority + Voice
Drench from the pouring rain,
The young Cambodian girl
Wiped her face and
Held up her rice basket
Toward the hidden stars
She wondered which way
The wind would blow
Her dreams are hidden
In the forbidden rice field
Cambodian rice fields
where
dragonflies make love
while
we
dance on moon river
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