A little optimism with your Monday morning cup of tea - the Sky of Love, the Glow of Muhammad the Light, and the bumbling sinners holding on to the balloon...

Holding On

I don't know where I will end up,

Holding on, as best as I can,

On a heart-shaped balloon

With a short wingspan...

A little bit of self-audit,

A little bit of self-deprecating humour,

A little bit of study,

A little bit of funny,

A little dose of serious-ity,

A little dose of irony,

A little bit of praying,

As upon the wings of a prayer,

I go a floatin'...

Laughing and crying,

Singing and dancing,

Learning and obeying,

Disobeying and regretting,

Loving and yearning

Upon the singular path

That attracts all the best

Of man and their kings...

The Path of Love.

Thus, only God and His Prophet

Knows why I am here,

Spoiling the scenery 

With my floating indiscreet prose.

.........................................

We are all floating. Clinging for dear life (and sanity) on the thin thread that is tied to that big balloon in the celestial sky called Love. We are all floating. No matter how certain we are with our calculations of market trends. No matter how assured we are in our 'facts' and experiences. We are all floating in the Sky of God, as bumbling souls, big or small, fat or thin, hoping and praying that God sends us to the best of places, to the highest firmament of divinely graced happiness, over the valleys of Man, up to the Highlands of the Saints, further beyond to the peak of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s). And beyond? Unto the divine presence, veiled from even the highest flying Angels of God, to where the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) is, waiting for us, beckoning us, and breathing the guiding wind of truth, mercy and love... that we may come to him soon. Very, very soon. 

My name is Taufiq, if you would care to know. And as a student of this life, I think I would have despaired for Mankind (and myself) as I witness, on the daily basis, human greed and folly, spreading fasad (corruption), falsehood and tyranny through out the lands. But I am assured by the balloon that I hold on to, that it will not fail me. Not in a million years, not in an infinite span of sad days and crying nights will I consider that God would fail me, that Muhammad Habibullah, the anointed Mercy to all the world(s) would fail me. We are all carried in the wind by the very best prayers and wishes of all of God's own Angels, by the very best desires of the Companions and Saints of the Prophet. 

Now the day called Monday is open anew for you. The Angels have awoken the Sun, and the birds are bursting forth in their musical choir for you, and for me. This is a good day. This is the very best of days, for it is another twenty-four hours to get to know yourself. For verily, if you but knew yourself, as God knows you, you would fall in love with yourself, you will keep yourself safe from your own neglect, and the Light of Love burnished in the Glow of Muhammad the Light shall never grow dimmed. Indeed, in these dark times it will shine brighter than a million galaxy of supernovas.

There... A little optimism with your Monday morning cup of tea. Go forth with God, sunshine!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way 

Adam, Eve and the Nature of Woman - we men will always be mystified. It is fated. Deal with it.

The Father and the Two Brothers. S. Mehmet, S. Bahauddin and the
Sun of their constellation, the Mawlana himself.

Whenever I want to treat myself to some divine infotainment, I click on the SaltanatTV website and look for Shaykh Bahauddin Adil's sohbet (sermon-coffee-talk). For you see, I am a sucker for the saints and the saintly and their coffee talks. And when they are dishy-looking, always smiling, always joking but always sharing stories inspired from their father, the Mawlana himself (Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani al-Qubrusi), it is infinitely more enjoyable, poignant and satisfying. I would be sitting in front of my laptop, a veritable cocoon of happiness in a world often torn with sadness, hate and conflict. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah.

S. Bahauddin to the right of Shaykh
Raja Ashman, who passed on more
than 100 days ago. al-fatiha 

WOMAN. And praise be to God that yesterday I learnt (a little bit more) of the nature of that most elusive character, that arbitrary creature with Angel-like capacity for goodness and fealty, a personage so foreign in their thinking and vision to us men, that we often simply stare dumbfounded at their actions and antics - ergo the daughters of Eve, a.k.a Woman.

LIKE MAGIC! We come home, the tea is ready (like magic). Our clothes are washed, ironed and already in the closet (like magic). The fridge, once empty is suddenly filled with groceries (like magic!). The lady of our life, yesterday angry with us but now smiling like the sweetest thing (like magic!). The children tucked in bed already, teeth brushed and in their PJs (like magic!) Only God knows their work and effort... our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives and aunties... we men tend to be rather woolly headed, oblivious to the frantic work around us. We cannot afford to compensate the women in our lives enough, we simply don't have enough money or virtues. Their complete compensation is with the Best Boss of all, our loving Lord God.

Poor guy Adam, poor compared to the beguiling
beauty and richness of Eve. Yes, men. This is our lot
since the very beginning. Why fight it?

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Shaykh Bahauddin said (in his recent coffee talk-Click Here to SaltanatTV and look for his 07.07.2012 video entitled 'Emergency Happiness') that when Adam was awaken from his blessed sleep (the first time ever that sleep has taken him, because the fact is Paradise is so wonderful that no sleep is needed nor wanted) and found Eve, he felt for the first time ever, complete. "He is walking on clouds!" said the Shaykh, "Poor man, he doesn't know what is coming!" Thus our common grandfather Adam fell head over heels in love with Eve. How can he react in any other way when in the beauty of Eve is the beauty of all women that will descend from her lineage through out the ages? Cleopatra, Mona Lisa, Nefertiti, Marilyn Monroe... they are all just subset of the first Eve. She was a divine knock-out and our poor grandfather Adam had no chance whatsoever.

"As Adam said to Eve... you.. you... uhh.. you COMPLETE me..."

DIVINE PROMISE AND DIVINE CHANGE. Women are vessels of such divine promise, that Adam was blown away and he struggled and failed to encompass the station of Eve, not just in beauty and divine attributes, but as a vessel for divine catalyst - as the tree and the forbidden fruit and the Devil came into play.

So here we are on 17th July 2012. And we men are still playing the role of Adam, acting bemused and amused, but actually mystified and utterly besotted by the Eves in our lives.

8. Ah, a Woman

Fragile and soft,

Yielding

But ever so

Commanding.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

One of the earlier posting on Adam and Eve - If ONLY Adam was awake when God created Eve - The Creation of Eve & the Bewilderment of Adam.

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Finally... The 2nd Wedding Reception of King & Sofia - a celebration of family, friendship and love

2nd Reception in Kuala Lumpur, last night.

Well, it's finally over. Attended my old friend's wedding reception (groom side), to celebrate the happy union of Raja Nushirwan (King) and Tengku Sofia (Pia) last night. Although I refused to accept the fact, I think I was terribly nervous about giving the wedding speech. Even the food tasted like ash as I counted the minutes before I was called to give a speech. After last night's unnerving experience before 800 + guests, I slept for a good 10 hours.

In Kuala Terengganu... one week ago.

Don't ask. It's a tradition, especially amongst the nobility. Both the bride and groom
are suppose to get equal treatment with the cleansing water. But according to King
he seems to be getting most of it. "Well, maybe it's because of the pair, you are
the one that requires most cleansing and purifying..." I helpfully suggested.

I had a well-sorted speech all written up and ready to be recited. But as I got behind the rostrum, I decided What-the-heck! and throwing caution to the wind, I decided to improvise as I went along. King and my friends were quite happy with the speech (of course, they would say that, wouldn't day?), but Heche, my most ardent fan and worst critic, also said it went well. So I guess it did. Thank God. I hope.

This morning, King messaged me and said "Was thinking of yr speech. V touching. Now I know why u were sebak(emotional)! Thnx again!"

To which I replied, "Aku tak sebak laa (No, I was not emotional). Its acting skill... the Method."

But I guess you can read between the lines. I am very happy for my friend and his beautiful bride. And this was how I concluded my speech (translated from Malay to English)...

For the sake of the Prophet (pbuh), I pray with all my heart and soul, with each atom, each neutron, each electron, each proton and other assorted sub atomic particle that is crazily dancing within my corporeal being and my spirit, that God Almighty and Muhammad Habibullah (pbuh) shall forever bless and grace the marriage of King and Sofia now and forever, to the very lives of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Thank you to all my beautiful friends who also attended yesterday's reception to make it such a memorable and wonderful celebration of family, friendship and love.

And thank you, sunshine, for dropping by the almanac today. You make this almanac also to become a celebration of family, friendship and love. Don't tell me of the religion that you practice, speak to me instead in the Language of Love...

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Happy New Year 2012! - In the valley with a donkey

15. One Day in the Valley

For many years, I wandered like an aimless fool.

Then one morning the Sun pierced the valley gloom
And I realized I was on the back of a donkey.

Glancing down I saw there was a loose rein and halter.

A man then appeared, he took the rein and placed it in my hand.

He instructed me, “Follow me as best you can.”

But looking at my willful donkey’s head, I grew nervous.
I cried to the man, “Wouldn’t it be easier for you to hold the rein and lead the donkey yourself?”

He glanced back and smiled, “That is not the way. That was not the way of my Master nor shall it be mine.”

Suddenly he laughed and concluded,

“And who’s to say that one day, your hand shall not come to resemble mine and you start to question; Who is really riding this donkey? Me or him?”

Then he started walking. I followed his retreating back, goading my donkey to keep up, while it’s anguished brays filled the still air of the valley.

.............

New Year Resolutions. The noblest resolution is to control your willful ego, which in the above story is manifested in the donkey. You know, if I have a quicker and easier way to tame our ego, I would share it with you. People often talk about fasting, which is good at disciplining our body's appetite. But complete fasting is not only staying away from food and water from sunrise to sunset. It is also staying away from bad thoughts, controlling what our mouths say, what our eyes see, what our ears hear and what our mind thinks.

Hmm. Even that sounds difficult.

But we are here, already created. Let loose into the valley of life by God. Surely if we are here, God must know something we don't about ourselves. I think we should take it as a challenge to find out exactly what that is.

So that's my new year's resolution for 2012... to better control my rampant ego, and to find out what God sees in us. The question is, will 365 days be enough?

Happy new year, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A Journey from God, back to God - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 30

The gang. One last picture in Jedda.

Hullo, sunshine. This would surely be the second last posting of my umrah pilgrimage. And this time I wish to quote an extract from the pilgrimage journal. I cannot recall when I wrote it, as there are no dates, but I reckon this is the last night before me and my pilgrimage buddies made our way to Jedda to catch the flight back to Malaysia via Amman and Bangkok...

Dear God,
                Today I admitted my cowardice and habitual laziness to my friend Arjuna - How pleased was I that my December umrah was cancelled... simply because I was worried that I was not 'ready'. Not physically or spiritually. Worried that I would be a monster in Mecca, the true self being exposed to the holy air of Medina and Mecca. Nervous that You would test me... I believe in You, God, but I didn't believe You when You said that My Lovers are Mine,... My Servants are Mine, and the Traveler who travels for Me, looking for Me, is My Own to preserve and care. I didn't believe You... I couldn't.

But today, I am dying to return... to go to my Master and tell him - 'Ya Saidi (Master), I went to the Raudah (Holy Tomb of the Prophet in Medina)... and the Prophet kept his promise and loved me and preserved me... I visited the House of God (Baitullah in Mecca) and God loved me and cared for me... God and the Prophet kept their promises to me and gave me happiness, peace and contentment in my ziarah (visitation) to their houses... I am here to tell you, ya Saidi, that Ahad and Ahmad kept their promise to me and kept me safe...'

And so ends my pilgrimage journal, save for one final posting. Because you see, while I was in Mecca, a prose was recorded. And as in many prose written in Mecca, it is a sign for Love, Hope and Faith in our common Creator, a.k.a. God the All-Wonderful.

Perhaps God litters this entire world with divine clues and reminders of Him, and how better we would be if we would only open our hearts to see and listen. Life is no different from a pilgrimage after all. It is a journey from the day we were born to the day we pass away. A journey from God, back to God.

Walk with me, sunshine. And help me when I falter along the way, as I surely will.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Taj Mahal of the Heart - The Divine Guarantee for the Highest Edifice you build in the Name of Love

154. Taj Mahal of the Heart

O’ lazy builder,

You already have foundations of love,

But you have not built

The pillars of responsibility.

Build! And waiver not in your conviction,

Do as the masons do,

For just as the masons build,

So must you.

Build in the hearts of men

And all you hold dear!

Build! For the Lord

Is your Guarantor of any edifice

Which you raise upon

The Foundations of Love,

In the Name of Love.

A testament still standing,

When all of men’s conceit

Have crumbled to the earth,

And all the stars in the night sky

Have twinkled out of existence.

IN AND OUT OF LOVE. You and I, we have been through a lot, have we not? We have fallen in love, and perhaps we fell out of love. We have heard the voice of another, telling us she will never love another, but somehow or rather, she did. And we did too. But do not worry.

BUT IT'S STILL TRUE. I always believe that most people, when they say that they love you, they mean it. And I bet you were sincere as you can be when you confessed your undying love for someone you have now left. Or has left you. I do not like to judge things by the present alone. Things may have come to a dead end, but along the way did you not share beautiful dreams together? Did you not snuggle in the warmth of your lover's embrace and felt, "Wow... finally I have found my place in creation. And what a wonderful place creation is!"

DIVINE GUARANTEE. So just as the prose above says, that little nirvana you built, that paradise, that perfect Taj Mahal you once inhabited with your love is still there. Kept pristine by the Angels of Memories, its marble floor polished daily, its towering columns regularly inspected for cracks. But the past has already happened, so nothing should affect your beautiful past. Even if the present has forced you to leave your paradise of love.

DIVINE PRESENCE. After all, all souls once knew of the Divine Love in the Divine Presence, for we were there, with Him. And all souls left God's presence to inhabit their mortal bodies. Just because we are not directly in the Lord's presence now, does it mean that it did not happen? That the beautiful past with God never actually occurred? Simply because we find this life tiresome and hard? Full of disappointments and bitterness?

I am not bitter. I am a little sad sometimes. Mostly I am happy. Because I like to remember the greatest love that I have ever known - God. And I remember still the Foundations of Love that He left in my mortal soil. It begins from within me and reaches beyond the 8th Heaven. And there, in the perfected love of the Divine Presence, my Lord is still waiting for me, some day in the near future I shall see Him.

So all is good, you see?

Have a beautiful day, sunshine. And if you are in love... build. And do not be shy or reticent in the edifice that you wish to build with your lover. God has already shown you the way, yes?

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

Hari Malaysia Poem 2011 - The Alchemy of Malaysia

The Alchemy of Malaysia is...

The Art of uniting people

Of different racial, religious, ethnic,

Economic, cultural, and political background

Into a Golden Realm.

Hehehe. We are far from being a Golden Realm. But since 16.09.1963, when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaya (which earlier gained its independence in 1957) to create Malaysia, we have stumbled and grumbled our way through 48 years of general amity with glitches of disunity.

It is okay to dream. In fact I think there is nothing wrong at all thinking that Malaysia can be better. We may not be golden, and we have become a little rusty and rough around the edges. But I was born from a kindly family, just as my Indian, Chinese, Iban, Kadazan, Orang Asli etc... were all sprung from a noble heritage. 

I think that in the pursuit of unity in diversity, we must always remember our heritage and traditions. For that is what makes any country as rich in diversity as Malaysia unique. To step forward holding hands, we should know how we got here in the first place, yes?

But before I leave you to enjoy our Friday, I must share with you a posting by Aida Tourer entitled the Alchemy of Colors (CLICK HERE), which made me think about my country and its own alchemy. Thank you, Aida. 

From Malaysia, to the rest of the world, our greeting of peace, love and also beauty. Beauty because we are really damn good looking (okay... hehehe. Just kidding).

wa min Allah at-taufiq

What will we leave behind for our children? An Earth past its Live-By-Date? - Prose of Ramadhan Part 51

You don’t have to make the world better. Just don’t spoil it!

(Ramadhan Verses 28)

A friend said and I wrote,

“It is my hope to leave

This world a better place

Then I found it to be

For my children.”

Another friend read and commented,

“But my dear fellow,

Have you not found the world

Exceedingly better now

Because of your children?”

I replied, “Hmm. You are right, actually.”

“So you see,” He continued,

“It is really not about making

The world a better place,

But to not spoil it

For our children.”

I say, old chum. Please don't insult us by suggesting
we have common ancestors. Unlike YOU, we never
inherited a predisposition of destroying
the earth. Now give me the banana 
you promised.

The world is already perfect, sunshine. The celestial beings in the celestial environment - the countless stars and moons, comets and asteroids, they all whirl in perfect motion – dancing the dance of the heavens to a perfect harmony written by God, the All-Knowing Composer of the Most Perfect Harmonies. It is therefore fortunate that mankind do not have the physical power to affect the movement of the stars (The stars should count their lucky stars!). Alas, that this earthly environment is within our grasp to use (which is good) and abuse (which is bad). It is too bad for earth and perhaps the moon (one day?) to have mankind as their viceregent. Thus, the perfection of God reflected in the natural world become spoilt and tainted by man’s greed and vanity. We can see it all around us. We can taste it in the air and in the water we drink, and in the enormous mounds of hormonally imbalanced chicken we consume every day.

So one day, shall our little Mikhail, Anis, Lisa, Penny, Malini, Sarah, Mary ,Emina and Joe question us? – “Mummy, Daddy… you found this world a paradise on earth. Why did you spoil it for me?”

Zainal Abidin... 21 years ago.

In 1990, the radio airwaves and television screens in Malaysia were inundated by a song entitled ‘Hijau’, which means Green.‘Hijau’ was written by Mukhlis Nor, sung by Zainal Abidin under the R.A.P label (Roslan Aziz Production). When it was released that year, the song quickly became the environmental anthem for all Malaysians, and still is I reckon. Zainal, that dear old luvvie sang a dire warning… and a call for us to reflect and reconsider. Where will our corruption and consumerism lead us? What shall we leave our children one day? An earth past its live-by-date?

Hijau – Green (composition and lyrics by Mukhlis Nor)
Bumi yang tiada rimba – The earth without her forest
Seumpama hamba – is like a slave
Dia dicemar manusia – ravished by mankind
Yang jahil ketawa – who laughs in arrogance and ignorance

Bumi yang tiada udara – The earth without the air
Bagai tiada nyawa – is lifeless,
Pasti hilang suatu hari – to surely disappear one day
Tanpa disedari – without anyone noticing.

Bumi tanpa lautan – The earth without the sea
Akan kehausan – Will thirst
Pasti lambat laun hilang – (and) surely sooner or later it (too) will disappear,
Duniaku yang malang – Oh my unfortunate world…

Dewasa ini kita saling merayakan – In recent times, we often celebrate
Kejayaan yang akhirnya membinasakan – Success which ultimately destroys,
Apalah gunanya kematangan fikiran – What is the use of a matured mind
Bila di jiwa kita masih lagi muda – When in our soul, we are still young (immature)
Dan mentah – And childish (ignorant),
Ku lihat hijau – I see ‘Green’

Bumiku yang kian pudar – My earth is slowly blurring
Siapa yang melihat – Who will see (?)
Di kala kita tersedar – And when we finally notice
Mungkinkah terlewat – It may already be too late.

Korupsi,opresi,obsesi diri – Corruption, oppression, self-obsession,
Polusi,depressi,di bumi,kini – Pollution, depression on this earth now.

Ohanok-anok – Oh little children
tokleh meghaso mandi laok – will not feel (the pleasure) of bathing in the sea
Besaing,maing ghama-ghama – While playing together,
Ale lo ni tuo umurnyo bejuto – This world, its age is millions
Kito usoho – We (must) strive
Jauhke dari malapetako – to avoid catastrophe
Ozon lo ni koho nipih nak nak aghi – The ozone is now getting thinner every day
Keno make asak – we have to eat smog / smoke,
Hok biso wei,pasa maknusio – (destruction) because of mankind
Seghemo bendo-bendo di dunio – all things in this world
Tokleh tehe – will not stand (last)
Sapa bilo-bilo – forever.

God bless your Friday, sunshine. This day, like any other day of the week, like this world we live in, is perfect. Let’s try not to spoil it (any more).

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Quiver & the Arrow - PROSE OF RAMADHAN PART 3

The Quiver & the Arrow (The Ramadhan Verses #3)

My thoughts make no sense,

My words all meaningless,

My future is locked

In the past tense.

It is the hardest thing ever,

To change,

How you hold the bow,

How you hold the quiver,

And how you let go

The arrow.

The Prophet once said, or so I am informed, “If I am told that someone has changed his habits, and I am also told that a mountain has moved from its spot to another. I will believe the second to be far more likely.”

Change is a miracle. You can strive towards it and work hard for change. But when it comes it is like a divine intervention. It’s as if God presses the button hidden somewhere in the well of your soul and presto(!) - Your days and nights of effort has suddenly paid off! Good for you, sunshine!

I am not big for change. But the world turns regardless and time passes and they are not waiting for me to change. If you have any thing that you must do, some long ago dream you have yet to fulfill, some bad habits you long desired to drop, some path to travel, a mountain to climb, a book to finish, a journey to begin, a promise to keep… well, do it.

We all carry the past in us, often wearily reliving our past mistakes. At the same time we are struggling to cope with the expectations of the future. And while we are being burdened between the past that we cannot change and a future that we are nervous about, the present comes and goes unattended.

On this eve of Ramadhan, it is simply a timely reminder for me. That this is the 41st Ramadhan in my life but there are so much that I can still do to be better. And I hope to make full use of this month that way. And it begins with this moment, this present which I am hoping to share with you, an old prose called The Wasteland…

101. The Wasteland

In the wasteland of thy material afflictions

In thy overflowing cup of blame and sorrow

In thy rapture of all things hollow

Know this if you must know one thing

That it is never too late

To turn love from hate

To save joy from misery

To pry thyself free

Of false gods and false liberties.

And that,

As a man

Or as a woman

His Beautiful Face

His Merciful Gaze

His Enduring Embrace

Awaits thee,

Wherever thy gaze may turn.

God bless you, my friends. May you progress from goodness to goodness and leave behind the vanity of the yesteryears, especially when there is today, this fine beautiful Sunday for you to live to its fullest.

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnote - A few good men and women have established traditional archery (and horseback archery) in Malaysia. They say that they want to churn out good archers. But the secret is that they simply want to churn out good people. My admiration for them knows no bounds. You can google them up if you are interested, although one of the more famous is called the Leap Programme. You can learn more about them at their pemanah website. CLICK HERE.

Adam & Eve, the Best of You and the Best of Me

Adam and Eve
Adam was alone,
And yea, verily God
Assented to his plea
And created Eve.

So that one day,
Adam with Eve by his side,
Will return to God
And His Paradise of Delights.

And sometimes,
It is for Eve to chase Adam,
Angry, ashamed and disgruntled
Into the care of He,
The One Who Consoles,

And sometimes,
It is for Adam to chase Eve
Forgotten, neglected and torn
Into the embrace of He,
The One Who Embraces.

And sometimes,
It is for each Adam and Eve,
Weary, disappointed, and remorseful
To bring themselves
Into the guiding Light of He,
The One Who Guides, saying
“Oh Lord, I am weary of myself”

Only for God to answer,
“That is simply because you
Have not found the best of you.

I know you, I made you,

…Let Me Guide you to the best you.”

We are not perfect, you and I. Sometimes we cannot meet the expectations of our better-halves. And sometimes we fail to meet even our own expectations. But things are never appalling so long as we remember that we are not alone whether on our own or in the private embrace of our lover.

For the One True Reality exists in the One True Love, unmatched by any love stories of Adam and Eve or Joseph and Zuleika, and that is the love of God for us.

Have a good Monday, sunshine. And for the record, let me state here that I simply cannot wait to meet the best you! But I am aware that the likelihood of such an occurrence will increase ten thousand fold only when I am my best me. Oh dear... How am I ever gonna get there without your help?

So Jews. Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and ….. (add your religion here), let us, as true brothers and sisters would, encourage, motivate and pray for each other, that God might lighten our burden and ease our journey to find the best of ourselves. There in the Valley of Perfection, I am sure I will meet you. I am just hoping that I will also get to meet me! Hehehe.

Pax Taufiqa.

The 13 Wishes of a New Bride

Don’t take love advice from a divorcee. Metaphorically hobbling about like a World War I veteran, wounded and grumpy, we must look and sound like a right pretty sight.

But the truth of the matter is love makes no distinction between young or old, married or single (or ‘recycled’, as one client likes to call my status). It makes the most experienced and world-weary of us to once again cast that second glance at Love and wonder, “Hmm…. Maybe. Just maybe.” and to again fall deeply, and abjectly in love.

Tonight I am attending the celebration of love in the union of two souls in holy wedlock. (Yes, I mean a wedding). The bride is Heche’s closest buddy, and a girl I really like. She is sassy, smart and arty-farty. Heche is gonna be a co-emcee, so she will be there earlier. She asked for a poem, and I gerrymandered one of my favourite poems previously entitled ‘Dearest, Spoke my Love'. I don’t know if it will actually be recited tonight (you know… wedding reception itinerary can change in the last minute). So for the bride, if she didn’t get to hear it tonight, this is the original unabridged version with its new title, which you must admit, sounds far more jazzy…

The 13 Wishes of a New Bride
"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my blood and it is red,
If you love me, paint the canvas
Of your life with me."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my heart and it is wounded,
If you love me, take my heart
And heal my hurt."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my hand, and it is delicate,
If you love me, hold it firmly enough for me
To know that you are here,
But don't crush my spirit."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This are my lips, and they
Are seldom silent, both wisdom
And folly issues forth from them,
If you love me, kiss my lips,
Listen to my wisdom, and
Ignore my foolish speech.

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my memories,
"If you love me, remember where I
Come from and accept me and
My memories as one,
For we are inseparable."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"These are my weaknesses, and I have a few,
If you love me, hide them as you would hide
Your most precious stones,
Guard my name as you would
Guard your own."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is all my hope, and it is alive.
Help make it come true and I
Shall help makes yours
Come true too."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is the abyss of my fears and it is dark.
Be the bridge for me to walk across, and
Whisper into my ears, 'There is nothing
To fear, now that Love is here'."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my family and they are mine.
Love them, as you love yours and
Crown me as your queen before
The Throne of Time."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my feet and they have walked
Far and wide to find you. Anoint me
In the truth of healing upon
The bed of divine relief."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my eyes, and tears have run
The length of the Nile in my sorrows.
So tell me that today I am yours,
And I am yours for
All your tomorrows."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is my ears, and I am tired of
Hearing the promises of men.
So promise me nothing, but walk with me
On the path of life, Serenaded by angels,
While above us, the Moon is smiling,
Merciful and happy."

"Dearest," spoke my love,
"This is who I am, and if I appear
Foolish, teach me. And if I appear
Impatient, be patient with me.

Guide me as you are guided, and
Speak plainly to me. I need no roses
To be sprinkled before my feet, I need
No honeyed words to sooth my temper.
Just tell me that you love me
And that you will love me forever.

Have a joyful Sabbath, sunshine. And especially for the bride… may your wedding tale end with the traditional “And they lived happily ever after” as how all fairy tales should end. May Love bless your new life with His Presence, always.

And to spread the happiness further... if anyone wants to use the poem for their own wedding (or any other celebration of love, really), please go ahead. What merit or credit that I may get, I will sort it out later with our All-Loving God. Hehehe.

Pax Taufiqa.

Mikhail and his First School Examination - A tearfully happy tale

While I was walking through (and sinking into) the peat soil of the oil palm estates in Saribas earlier this week, a small drama was unfolding at home. On Monday, Mikhail, my 7 year old son, returned from school, and he was strangely quiet and withdrawn. While changing, Bibik saw that he was furtively looking at some papers and quickly shoving them back into his school bag. In the afternoon, he continued being very quiet, so Bibik went to the tv room to see what he was up to. To her surprise she found him crying alone on the sofa. So she asked him what was wrong, and in between his heartbreaking sobs, he told her that he got a C and a B in one of the subjects he sat of his recent primary 1 exams. Tearfully, he pleaded to her, "Sorry... Bibik, Sorry... Mika tak buat lagi (I won't do it again). She answered, "Hey, Mikhail, apa nak mintak sorry kat Bibik ni? (Hey, Mikhail, why do you need to say sorry to me?)

"Mika tak dengar cakap Bibik... Mika tak mau lagi tengok tv banyak banyak, Mika tak mau lagi main laptop banya-banyak... Sorry Bibik (I didn't listen to you, Bibik... I don't want to watch too much tv anymore, I don' want to play with my laptop anymore... I am sorry, Bibik)", said my son mournfully. Bibiq sat with him and gently consoled him, but he continued crying in her arms until finally exhausted, he stopped. But it didn't end there, for twice she found him sitting quietly as tears trickled down his cheeks.Finally tired out by the day's miserableness, Mikhail insisted on going to bed early and he fell asleep still crying. Bibik did her best, but by then even she was crying. "Saya kesian sangat tengok dia ni...(I felt so sad looking at him acting this way)", she said.