I am not Lost. I am in Love.

1.      I am not lost

God bless you and your family,

For God loves he who keeps faith

With those who appear lost.

But I am not lost, you see.

I am in love.

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

The scenario of falling in love is sometimes closely connected with some lost or other. Lost of your reason... that's a pretty frequent story. Lost of your property... that is also a common malady of love. Lost of your senses... oh boy, can I write a novel about that. Lost of your kingdom... Lost of your freedom... Lost of your free time.. lost of perhaps many things which you once cherished and held dear.

A friend of mine who was recently married is a good example of this pandemic of lost. For I am seeing him becoming somehow different, coping with married life and the accessories of changes that comes with the 'I do'. We sometimes meet, and he regal me with his domestic arrangement and the fixings and repairs required in moving into a new house. But most of all, he talks a lot about his wife, fascinated by the behaviour and personality of his own Frau of the Haus. Like a jigsaw he has long puzzled over, everything in his life is finally fitting in now, just nicely. 

So I guess it is good to lose something sometimes. Because my friend, in his 42nd year, has gone and lost his heart to a girl, and with it his solitude and loneliness. 

Alhamdulillah.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

"You dislike being ignored? Now you know how I FEEL LIKE!" says God - a wedding, public speaking, the human ego and the path less travelled

Truth... 'Tis You?

What Truth Possesses You?

There is only One Truth

But the truth that takes hold of you

Differs according to your nature,

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are guided by love?

Lo, what truth posesses you

When you are possessed by hate?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are guided by mercy?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are possessed by vengeance?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are guided by patience?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are possessed by haste?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are guided by knowledge?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are possessed by ignorance?

Lo, what truth possesses you

When you are guided by humility?

Loe, what truth possesses you

When you are possessed by hubris?

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

Peaks and Valleys. And on, and on and on... we live our daily life being pulled in the eternal tug of war between love and hate, mercy and vengeance, patience and haste, knowledge and ignorance, humility and hubris.

I don't know about you, sunshine, but these are the peaks and valleys of my own, and each moment is defined thus, and so each moment for me, truth is manifested, being either the Truth of God, Most Compassionate and Most Merciful, or the many coloured truths of my ego - being self-centered, selfish, self-absorbed, envious and narcissistic.

Public Speaking. Things become more interesting as you step out of your shell and into the public arena. Although I am a lawyer, I am more of a draftsman rather than a litigator, working behind the scenes, advising and counseling. But of late I have taken a step out of the dusty bookish realm of drafting into the arena of public speaking and lectures. And I have been forced to face up to my own (often hidden) self image and pride. To find the balance between representing myself as a sensible 'respectable' man and avoiding the all-too-easy trap of vanity.

Below Average, You Say?! Happily, the review so far have been mixed - Downs like approaching a participant in the front seats to ask for the time, only to find her happily sleeping, Ups like receiving a call from the organizers to hold another lecture, and again Downs like being told that I have been marked average for my content but below average for my presentation. Ooh... the pain my ego felt.

He he he.

What in God's name is that fat man droning about?
The sinner at a wedding reception last night. Yet another
experiment in public speaking. But the happy couple (Messrs Syed Khaled
and Cherry Fifi) said they liked it. But otherwise, appearing to be ignored by 1000 people
is always a good lesson for the human ego. He he he. Now I know how God may sometimes feel like.
 I highly recommend it. And tomorrow night, I will be forming a trinity of speakers to give a talk on the
economic impact of emerging economies to the new 2012 batch of
of medical students of at a University here, and no doubt, to be largely
ignored by hundreds more of below 20s undergrads. 

I wonder how politicians and preachers maintain their sensibility when basking in the ego-boosting, heady and bewildering atmosphere of a clapping and adoring audience? I believe that all great terror, corruption and evil came somewhere from this failure of leaders to find a suitable remedy.

So I guess sometimes it is good to be told 'Sorry, but you kinda sucked!'.

He he he.

But all's well that end's well... The wedding reception was an unqualified
success (not counting me that is), and here is the husband and wife happily
surrounded by their friends. The wife was not so happy later when one old and
dear friend (no, not me.) jumped her, and accidentally pulled down her
veil and broke her beautiful tiara. Oopsie. On the way back the friend confided in me and
Heche, "I think I will keep out of sight for one month, until Fifi forgets..."

Have a lovely Sunday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Wedding of Fifi & Khaled - all's well that ends well!

Alhamdulillah, at about 6.15pm yesterday Khaled and Fifi consecrated their marriage vows in a simple Aqad ceremony at the bride's house. Despite the prayers of all involved, the mild afternoon rain turned into a right earnest downpour in the evening. "It is Fifi's tears, bro...," commented Kamarul, "...because she will lose her single status today in the sight of God Almighty, the Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) and Facebook."

As promised, these are some pictures we were able to take last night.

It is about 5.45pm, the hosts are ready, the cameraman is waiting patiently next
to the row of Hantaran (presents from the bride to be exchanged with the groom's
gifts), the youngish Tok Kadi (the religious dude to officiate the Aqad) is here
and in front of him is the two cushions for him to sit facing the groom (when
he arrives, that is)

Finally, Khaled's family arrived suitably wet from the downpour, with his aunties
and female cousins bearing his gifts on traditional dulangs (bronze trays),
consisting of non-traditional presents like an Apple iPad and a Nikon DSLR.

And then... like a dying camel arriving at an Oasis of Love, the groom, attired in his family's
traditional Arabic robes, arrives with a glitter in his eyes and a nervous smile.

"Dig for oil, here!" says the Shaykh.
(Hehehe. Khaled was actually asking where he was suppose to sit)

And a few minutes later, out comes the blushing Fifi from the bridal room carrying
a pretty bouquet of flowers. She will be sitting close by to witness the Aqad ceremony.

The father comes over with some official forms from the Tok Kadi to be signed
by the bride. With a brisk signature Fifi signs off her consent to marriage
and other assorted statutory declarations.

With a single recitation, Khaled completes the Aqad successfully. Sorry, no pictures
as I was behind him and concentrating real hard to listen to his recitation
of the contractual offer and acceptance of his marriage to Fifi. 

At the end, as in all weddings, happy smiles and poses all around.

It was still raining as we left later. There is Kamarul, Heche and Efa waiting for me
in the downpour. I stopped for a while to take this picture and let them get
a little bit more wet, just so I can post this pic on the blog.
I am a dedicated blogger, I am.

Such is life... Boy meets girl. Girl drives boy crazy. They get married.

Have a lovely sabbath, sunshine. We have the official reception to go to this afternoon, then the long drive back to Kuala Lumpur. 

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Love is Trouble... but it is a Beautiful Trouble - love and marriage in Perlis part 2

Love is like the rumbling thunder in the overcast skies of your heart.
"Uh Oh... sounds like trouble." your heart confides. And yes, it is
trouble, but it is a beautiful trouble.

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

1. While sipping coffee
While sipping coffee,
I was distracted by 
The veil of angels
That man call rainfall.

The curtain fall of
A billion angels
Plummeting earthbound,
As they cry out,
“Mercy is coming down!
Mercy is coming down!”

A few noticed me,
And they smiled
As they greeted me,
“Hi, Taufiq! Hi, Taufiq!
Do not listen to the whispering one!”
.............

Update - The Wedding Prep in Perlis. The above prose was recorded in early 2009. I am pretty sure I was sitting somewhere and it was raining, as it is right now here in Kangar, Perlis. Heche and Efa is at the bride's house, no doubt keeping the lovely girl's emotion steady and calm amidst the hustle and bustle of the wedding prep. Fifi is the eldest daughter, you see, and this wedding is the very first for her family. Nervous hearts all around. And now it is RAINING! Oh no... what will happen to the just-raised canopies and tents? But the rain is not too heavy (which by Malaysian standards means that it is not in the risk of uprooting 120 years old tropical trees), so we are hoping for the best.

As you have read in the earlier post this morning (and if you haven't, why haven't you?? Click Here), the marriage is of Fifi (Malay-Malay) with Syed Khaled (Arab Malay), and things are just getting interesting. I am here also with Kamarul, and it has been made clear to us that although we are friends with both bride and groom, that for today and tomorrow, we are with the bride's host and should, under no circumstances, 'act' as if we are with the groom's entourage... He he he. Boy, people sure get competitive at weddings! Not that Khaled will miss us, as he has about 100 strong already here or arriving soon. With the open invitation to the whole kampung (village), family and friends of Fifi, they anticipate more than 300 guests for today's Aqad (Muslim wedding ceremony), and about 700 tomorrow afternoon's official reception.

Love & Marriage. As we are in the topic of rain, love and marriage (which goes together like a horse and carriage, as the song aptly says), here is another prose recorded around the same time in 2009. It was written in the throes of passion for a human being called Heche. We have been to many, many weddings since, a few of my friends' but mostly hers. And as the rain falls more heavily today, I am wondering to myself, "When will our turn come?"

16. Like the rain

Whenever I look at you,

I am blessed by God,

Whenever I sit beside you,

I am blessed by God,

Whenever you smile,

And whenever you frown,

In that and all, I am blessed.

Whatever you say,

Whatever you don’t say,

Whatever you do, and

Whatever you don’t do,

I am blessed by God.

Like the rain,

You simply happened.

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

Good things ought not to be delayed, people say. So I am asking the Angels of the Rain to tender my application to God and His Prophet(pbuh) to hurry things up up there. Pray for us, sunshine.

I think there is a traffic jam of marriages destined to happen up there
in heaven. I hope the Angels will sort out the bottle neck and unclog
the matrimonial congestion. 

And to conclude, this is the ending of the collection of prose entitled 'Just between You and Me', more than 3 long years ago...

wa min Allah at-Taufiq

25th February 2009

There is only God, and naught but God,

And by my skin that hides my soul,

And by the bones that bear my body,

And by the fire of my ego, and the crowning throne

That is the heart to be possessed by my Him,

Muhammad Habibullah al-Mustafa,

Abu Arwah, the most perfect Rose

In the Garden of my Lord’s creation, it is He! It is He

That is the Messenger of God!

All Glory to God!

All Praise!

All Thought!

All Love!

All Life!

All me!

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

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

A Wedding in Perlis - Pictures tell stories

Fifi's parents love gardening I guess. They have an interesting batch of pink and
orange hibiscus around their little patch of village in Kangar. The red version is
the national flower of Malaysia.

The sinner is in the northern state of Perlis Indera Kayangan, the smallest little state in the Federation of Malaysia and the rice basket of the country. I have not been here for 30 years, I reckon, and am glad to know that things have developed decently, although the old ways are, happily, still the same. As we left our spanking new hotel last night, I was shocked to find a rice combine harvester, ploughing through a paddy field which we did not even noticed were right there in front of the hotel.

I am here for a wedding of two dear friends, Fifi and Syed Khaled, expected to take place this late afternoon after Asr prayers at her house just a five minutes drive from here. The marriage is an interesting amalgamation of Fifi who is a thoroughly Malay girl (with some spots of Siamese heritage I suspect), and Khaled who originates from Arabian stock.

I have misplaced my beloved songkok (traditional black-coloured Malay head gear) during the Eidul Fitri celebrations, and am now rushing to the small city (okay... let's call it a town) of Kangar to look for a replacement. So I can't write much right now. Below are some more pictures I managed to take yesterday.

When we arrived, Fifi the blushing bride was frantically asking us,
"Ooh... take me out! Take me out of my house at least for a while,
I cannot stand anymore of this wedding preparation!" So after telling
her father a bald-faced lie, we headed to Fifi's favourite seafood restaurant
at the jetty in Kuala Perlis. You cannot even see the place from the main road,
and would have to walk down this dark lonely path to find it.
Only the locals knows the place, she says. Wow. Exclusive.

Along rickety and loose planked pier we walked (or is it a jetty?), and pass
through the trees and small houses we arrive at the restaurant, hidden from
prying eyes and with a view of the Straits of Melaka. There were many Muslims
eating, but Fifi had once earlier asked the Chinese proprietor whether the food was
halal (permissable for Muslims). He blustered his reply,
"Waa... Agung pun makan sini! (Even the King have eaten here!)" He he he.

We didn't know what to order, but happily Fifi's relatives were having their dinner
at the next table. So we sought their advice and tested their food before ordering
ours. Yes. Fifi, and by proxy all of us, is quite shameless.

After dinner and incessant calls from her mother to come home, we left happy, satisfied and sleepy. Heche however went to do her best-friend-job and stayed with Fifi to help her with the wedding prep until later into the night.

Now it's 10.50am here in Kangar. And they are waiting for me. Gotta go now, sunshine. See ya later!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

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

Getting Ready to be Unready - Man, Woman and Love

6. Unready and Ready

I am ready, o' Love,

To be unready

And face you,

In whatever guise

That you choose

To wear.

We cannot choose the timing for love. We cannot say that in my 42nd year, after decades of bachelorhood, I am determined to fall in love and get married. As I had written earlier, my oldest friend is about to be wed at a ripe age of 41, just short of his 42nd birthday. Nothing was more surprising than this because he appeared determined to spend the rest of his life in blissful singleton. Do not be fooled into thinking that he is leading a quiet solitary life. For like most of my friends, he is a charmer and an excellent company. Being a diplomat he has friends all over the place. So it was not as if he is searching for companionship.

If he has one personal weakness, if you would call it that, it is his distaste for uncertainty. Time and again he has shared into my ears his unmitigated dislike for volatility and unpredictability. He is fond of clarity and likes to call a spade a spade, and a shovel a shovel.

Well, love has given him a shovel and love is telling him to start digging. To bury his old habits and pick up new ones, to be open to change, and most importantly, to uncertainty. For if there is one adjective fitting for  women, it is uncertainty and unpredictability. For you see, women have figured out that what men need is uncertainty and occasional surprises in our lives. A good scare is healthy and keeps us on our toes, you see. Men should have figured this out by now...

Let me be clear., my love. I am not in the mood. Go away.

So if you are about to fall in love, then prepare to be unready. And in the face of arbitrary whims and feminine guile, our duty is only to listen, to obey and to always (and I mean ALWAYS) say, "Yes, dear..."

Have a lovely Wednesday, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Marriage is Surplus to My Requirements - the King said...

I received this wedding invite a couple of days back. The invitation is from my oldest buddy who has been an active participant of the story, 'Taufiq, His Life' for more than 24 years.

It all began more than a year ago, when I started noticing that this friend has been spending an awful lot of time with a girl. "Is there anything going on with you two?" I tactfully asked. My friend answered in the negative. It's totally platonic he said. Then he went on the attack and said, "The problem with you is that you cannot even entertain the idea of being close friends with a woman without getting romantically entangled."

Six months down the road, again I inquired, "Are YOU sure there is nothing going on?" To which my friend said, "Bro, I am happy. You know me... Marriage is surplus to my requirements." Oh. Okay.

In early December he called me and Heche, "Let's meet up, I have some important news." So we had lunch at our favourite roast duck joint in Bangsar. "Since you guys have been awfully meddlesome about my relationships, I have gotta tell you that me and Pea (for that is the girl's nickname) are getting serious." 

Two weeks after that, King (for that is my friend's nickname) confided that they are unofficially engaged and will have the engagement ceremony in February, which proceeded well according to his postmortem. The wedding is now set for next month. Very fast? I blame it all on King's pent-up tension and pressure of 41 years of bachelorhood.

The cards are designed and printed in Jakarta, Indonesia. Way cheaper there, it seems.

I love weddings. Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Photographer gets Photographed - Wedding of Amirul & Balqies

107. A Reason and Season III

For every reason

There is a season,

For every passion

There is an Eden,

For every man,

A gentlewoman,

In a book,

Long, long ago written.

I am rushing this morning as I do not want to be late for a wedding. This is the Aqad which is the solemnisation of the marriage vows between Amirul and Balqies, my cousin Zaid's eldest. Amirul is in Shell while Balqies is a photographer. In fact I have used her pictures before and placed her link on my blogroll for the longest time. I guess this time around it is the photographer who gets to be photographed. And seeing a recent picture of her, I think she will look beautiful today.

Being 42 years old with just enough white hair to pass off as a respectable middle-aged man, I have also been asked to be one of the four witnesses when the groom verbally confirms his marriage contract. My job is just to listen and say "Sah!" (Valid!) after his recitation of the correct words.  

Well, that's about it for now. As I said, gotta rush... we have a lovely couple to marry off!

Have an uber-fantistico day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Welcome to the Year of the Dragon - babies and brides

Today is the eve of the Chinese New Year, as many of the 1.4 billion Chinese of mainland China and 40 million Overseas Chinese gather around the family table to celebrate the rise of the Year of the Dragon.

Befitting such an auspicious year, many plans will be made and followed through with the well-known Chinese diligence to get married and make many, many more Chinese babies. 'Tis a good plan.

In my office, Shikin, our tiny, tiny clerk manage to give birth to another bouncing baby boy yesterday, days ahead of her scheduled Ceasarian. The vitality of a Dragon baby, he cannot even wait for the Dragon year to actually commence. The baby weighed in at a healthy 3.5kg, which means that his mother would need to lose a mere 1.5kg to return to her normal weight. Shikin had absolutely the most skinniest pregnancy I have ever witnessed. "But she is so thin!" remarked Heche hotly.

For myself, there is a flurry of weddings anticipated this year, as young (and old) lovers among my friends and family finally settled to settle down. In less than 2 weeks time, I am (dubiously) respectable and (sadly) old enough to be asked to witness the Aqad (wedding) ceremony of my niece Balqies and her beau, Amirul.

Take care, sunshine. May you ride the Dragon well this coming year.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Mikhail, Mathematics and his cousins - Pictures tell Stories

Mikhail'a cousins. From the left in gentle repose is Emina of Malay-Turkey stock.
Aaliya is an American here on holiday and comes from North Dakota.

She is here together with her 1+ sister, Jasmine. This time around they have decided
to bring their parents (Chad and Lin) along for the 23 hours flight from the cold of Bismarck, ND
to the hot and humidity of Kuala Lumpur.

I was a little curious why Mikhail was a bit slow in his mathematics when I
helped him in his homework. But it appears now that studying in the house is simply too
distracting. In his tuition class, Mika actually did decently. A little peer pressure is
useful sometimes. He came back very happy with his perfect score. "What are
you going to do with it?" he asked, as I looked at his answer sheets. "I will
blog it of course." I replied. Sorted.

I am looking at a vacant bungalow house lot abandoned by the owner. It doesn't
take long for nature to reclaim her own. You can still see a little of the perimeter wall.
I wonder why the owner did not go through with building the house. A little brook runs
down the hill slope just outside the property. This very green area is just 5 minutes from
one of the busiest suburb of Kuala Lumpur with its giant malls and shopping centres. 

To end this international posting is the marriage of this tall fella. He doesn't look
particularly native, and there is a reason. He is half Swedish. He speaks perfect Malay
which is rather astounding when I first met him more than a year ago. We were united
in our love for dance back then, so I am glad to see him this happy in connubial bliss.

No poetry today, sunshine. Just the poetry of life.

Pax Taufiqa.

Moses at the Red Sea Toll and the Malaysian Toll Weddings

Toll Roads. As Malaysians, we are quite experienced with tolls. And this is a short blurb from Wikipedia which is roughly correct - "Malaysia has extensive toll roads that forms the majority of country's expressways which in length spans more than 1400 km ranging North to the Thai border, South to the Causeway and Second Link to Singapore, West to Klang and Pulau Indah and East towards Kuantan. Most of the toll roads are in major cities and conurbations such as Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang. All of Malaysian toll roads are managed in the Build-Operate-Transfer basis as in Hong Kong and Japan..." The number of tolls are enough to be a pinch to your wallet and depending on where you stay and where you work, the pinch can be really painful. I am very lucky not to feel that pinch because my office is less than 5 minutes from my house (by car) and about 45 minutes if I walk. So I never walk.

Toll Weddings. One of my closest friend, John (aka Faizal), got married in the southern state of Johor about 13 years ago. As was the case with Johor, I was concerned with the possibility of 'tolls'. Johor Wedding tolls is a quaint tradition (quaint for the bride's family that is) where some members of the bride's family would block entry of the groom and his entourage into the bride's home unless he pays the 'toll'. The amount to be paid depends on the circumstances, not to mention the number of tolls AND toll operators. At the main gate of the house, there may be a toll. Crossing from the drive way to the porch may be a toll. There may also be another toll at the front door and finally as you make your way in, you could find the Mak Andam (traditional make-up artist) sitting primly on YOUR pelamin (a raised dais 'throne' for the bride and groom on the wedding day - ergo the term 'Raja Sehari' meaning King and Queen for the Day in reference to the happy couple). Yes, weddings are a little complicated down south.

In my friend's case John told me that the bride's family assured him that there would certainly be NO toll whatsoever. I believed him, but I had less belief about his soon to be in-law's assurances, so I brought some spare cash just in case Of course, as it turned out there were tolls. But only two, an old geezer blocked our entrance through the porch grilled door, and on John's pelamin sat the Mak Andam, smiling at us. At the first toll, Amirul (the Best Man) admitted later that he was tempted to simply push the old man aside, but good manners restrained his action. I handed the beleaguered John the money and he simply paid his dues and the wedding continued as planned. They are still happily married and have 5 children.

I am happy to share a happy ending with you. In this world with depressing news coverage we should always look around for the beautiful stories, yes?

May your day today be part of your own beautiful story, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

A Wedding Day for a Poem and a Picture - Prose of Ramadhan Part 69

4. It is He
It is my Love that sends me
Pearls from His Ocean,
Saying, “Whither will you get pearls
If not from Me?”

It is my Love that sends me
Trials and loneliness,
Saying, “Whither will you find happiness
If not with Me?”

It is my Love that wraps His secrets
In veils and green ribbons,
Saying, “No love is greater than My Love,
No better place than being my servants.”

It is my Love that leaves me a beggar,
It is He that brings me closer,
The Wind in my sail, the Wave on my bow,
From stormy sea to gentle harbour.
It is He, my Love, and no other.

This prose is a very old prose and was posted earlier, but I just sketched the picture today - so today is the blessed day of union for the two lovebirds. Did I know that the picture would be wedded with this particular poem? Of course not! Love just happens, like in real life. 

Anyway, thank you for coming, for I have been frantically worrying about where to hold the wedding reception. The churches, mosques, temples and synagogues are all fully booked. But now that you are here, might I borrow a little corner of your heart for a ceremony of love? That is why you are here, right?

God bless you! Thank you, sunshine   ;)

wa min Allah at-taufiq.

The Responsibilities of Husband and Wife

37. Responsibilities of husband and wife

It is sometimes said that

The responsibility of

A husband is greater than

The responsibility

Of the wife.

But how heavy is

The wife’s responsibility

To accept the husband

When she thinks

He is wrong

In his responsibilities?

O’ Adam,

Make it not difficult

For Hawa to perform her duties,

O’ Hawa,

Make is not difficult

For Adam to perform his duties,

And verily,

In the Lord of Adam and Hawa

You will find eternal recompense

For what patience both of you show!

I am not married. I once was, and I have a son to prove for it. My client jokingly likes to call me 'recycled goods'. I myself used to refer to myself as 'damaged' with 'reasonable wear and tear'. But I think I am neither. I am just me, one of many hundreds of million or perhaps billion of souls out there hoping one day for an opportunity to marry.

I hope to be a good husband one day. As you too perhaps hope to be a good hubby or wife. It is not the easy path, but if you choose this way, then I wish you all the best and may you find the wisdom and patience to gain the eternal recompense of the Lord of Adam and Eve. I am thinking about all this because within this one year, a bushel of friends are planning to get hitched. Jolly exciting stuff!

God bless you, sunshine.

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.