After 365 days of
Balancing our daily routines,
Caring for our loved ones,
Daring to dream of relaxing days - yes,
Even after realising it's all
Futile, we still wait to have our
Great days, our very own
Happy mornings - long live our
Imagination; But let's not just
Judge the year gone past, badly;
Keeping ourselves in good health,
Longing to have some "me time",
Maintaining good relationships -
Never have all these been more important
Or sought after, than in these
Post-covid times - rather, an essential
Quiet gap between difficult times of
Rains, virus and wars, among others;
Somewhere between tragedies, we became
Thankful for the silver linings - appreciating
Universal peace and helping each other;
Vacations and holidays recharged us and I
Wish that we get more of those every year.
X-mas now gives way to the start of a new
Year - a year that I hope keeps us all safe,
Zestful and yearning for a peaceful life.
When teachers tell you at the beginning of May,
"The end of school is 30 days away!"
30 days sounds like a piece of cake but look at the calendar.
So many days filled with tests and volunteering, not laughter...
So you prepare yourself for what is to come.
Soon enough this school year will be done.
-Written by Bridget (who, yes, is finishing the 7th grade)
Year End 2020
By Franklin Price
12/27/2020
The year of 2020
Almost over, said and done
Four more days 'til ended
As a year, was not much fun
Healthfully and politically,
Was one of fear and dread
Hope '21 is more adult
A better year instead
If 2020 had been eyesight
Would have been the best of all
Instead, COVID has killed many
Caused economy to fall
Put small business on the street
Allowed the largest ones to thrive
Distancing the population
Wearing masks to stay alive
'20 took US to the edge
Mail-in voting was a joke
The congress up in Washington
Did naught but blow some smoke
Vaccinations for the COVID
Now being given nationwide
Hopefully it's the beginning
Of the ending of the ride
Donald Trump was voted out
Joe Biden, voted in
The coming year of 2021
Will let us try it all again.
Year - end night here waits to birth
Lovelier princess, vaccine girl
Mountain high does labour earth
Squeaking rat now, leaps for a whirl.
Syllable count: 7/8/7/8
*4th Place* in the following contest (judged on Dec. 24, 2020)
Dec. 18, 2020
Christmas Chastushka – Rules Revised Poetry Contest
Contest Sponsor: Andrea Dietrich
Dogs recognize me, own me,
cats tolerate the space I move in.
Long nights have concertinaed the days
into narrowing perspectives,
yet still a pencil thin sunrise
is worth getting up for.
I hear a train coming
it is loaded with happy waving children;
they lean out of the window
their gaily colored scarves
fly in the wind.
O no, another train
coming fast
on the opposite track.
O no, everyone is headless.
I am headless
even though I was not on the train.
The dogs are yelping, the cats
are as stiff as statues.
My eyes are half-open
like train carriage windows.
My head is rolling now into 2020,
apart from the sink holes, fault lines
and cliff edges, it will be, of course,
all downhill,
and I'm thinking:
'it's great to be alive.'
Night cicadas
Feisty echoes;
Shadows glide
~~~~~~~~~
Late night market
Noisy bargains;
Crowds congregate
~~~~~~~~~
Shoppes by the Bay
Festive fare;
Crowded feet prompt
~~~~~~~~~
Window shop
Grand displays call;
Christmas spree
~~~~~~~~~
Old lovers
Downtown magic;
Spicy moments
~~~~~~~~~
Transit train
Hordes emerge;
Private escapades
~~~~~~~~~
Proof coins
Precious metals entrance;
Fancy outlook
~~~~~~~~~~
Lovely feelings
Wonder prompts;
Scented spice floats
~~~~~~~~~
Insight comes
Mystic glimpses;
Wonder floats
~~~~~~~~~
Leon Enriquez
29 December 2017
Singapore
If Jesus is still the king of the light,
I declare in his name,
All the pots of human blood,
All the buckets used to fetch human blood,
They must all go dry this time,
There in the kingdom of the dark,
Human flesh must run out,
The light must enter the spiritual realms,
The spells of human threats must be forgotten
Those in the dark must go hungry
Hungry to taste animal meat,
To lead the restoration of their minds,
All the arts of taking human life I declare,
I declare void and out of date,
Then life and protection be back in the world,
In Jesus Name,
Amen….
The Four Fields Of Merit:
First is Filial Piety
Second the Dharma
Third is Charity
And fourth the Fauna
With Christmas and New Years approaching, I just wanted to remind everyone of the importance of generosity. In Buddhism, there are four fields of merit: Our parents/elders, the Buddha/Sangha/Dharma, the poor and needy, and wildlife/animals. Good acts done in these categories will generate great karma.
So in addition to helping your parents/grandparents, please consider the following good causes in the other three fields of merit:
Animals:
All Creatures ( http://www.all-creatures.org )
Advocacy of protecting animals/list of shelters
Poor:
Unite For Sight ( http://www.uniteforsight.org )
Sight restoring surgeries
Buddha Dharma:
Buddha Educational Foundation ( http://www.budaedu.org/en/ )
Free Dharma materials in many languages
Poem released into Public Domain
Yards have lost their Santas.
Yuletide glow is fading.
You change calendars and
yield two thousand sixteen.
Young ones hear repeats of
yarns their elders tell, till—
YAWN! Happy New Year, all!
written for, and entered in, Andrea Dietrich's Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Pleiades Contest on December 20, 2016
Another year will end with cheer
one more shall soon arrive, no fear
But how they make such a fine din
as one falls out and t’other in
while I will wince, holding my head and festive beer
Not soft and gentle their approach
I’ve asked them both, but they won’t broach
to ease the change that they must make
Instead they choose to make me quake
and tremble at their shouts and bells of self-reproach
There’s drink and food and auld lang syne,
pine trees, balloons all do combine;
conspire with cards to set a trend
that truly drives me round the bend
I roll my eyes and wait, in vain, for some lifeline
They’ll bang, they’ll stomp, they’ll yell and scream
Meanwhile, I’ll try to plan and scheme -
for resolutions must be set
to make next year the greatest yet
At twelve, one goes, I’ve no regrets; I can now dream
All through the year it's been coming
the months, weeks and days countdown
then in that final month of the year
all the pressure makes one frown
It's the fastest paced month by far
everything's a gogo in December
all pointing to Santa time at Christmas
be ready get all the pressies remember!
Sadly the real reason for the season
has been lost in this materialistic world
God sent His son to be our saviour
instead man leaves the message curled
It can bring a mixture of weather
where ever in the world you may be
of course it's my birthday month
now let's find as real nice green tree
as the night fall
the ball on the wall
is about to fall
lots of people
ar around
to listen in the cool breed
the
NEW YEARS EVE
COUNT DOWN
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