DAILY PHOTO: Proclamation of Independence Memorial, Melaka
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Baboon [Lyric Poem]
I would never wish to impugn
That noble creature, the baboon.
Some say mean things about their fangs,
But about their gnarly butts-- DAAANG!
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Ostrich [Lyric Poem]
For the Ostrich, I feel quite bad:
The bird's great gift, it never had.
But, a flighted one, I don't wish to see;
I'd hate to have a falling one land on me.
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DAILY PHOTO: Sultanate Palace, Melaka
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“Shiloh: A Requiem” by Herman Melville [w/ Audio]
Skimming lightly, wheeling still,
The swallows fly low
Over the field in clouded days,
The forest-field of Shiloh--
Over the field where April rain
Solaced the parched ones stretched in pain
Through the pause of night
That followed the Sunday fight
Around the church of Shiloh--
The church so lone, the log-built one,
That echoed to many a parting groan
And natural prayer
Of dying foemen mingled there--
Foemen at morn, but friends at eve--
Fame or country least their care:
(What like a bullet can undeceive!)
But now they lie low,
While over them the swallows skim,
And all is hushed in Shiloh.
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Late to the Hunt [Senryū]
tardy deer hunter
finds a deer grazing beside
his hunter's stand.
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Bear [Lyric Poem]
Walking down a trail, I had quite a scare --
For walking straight towards me was a big ole bear.
It glanced at me, and then down at its feet,
Then that speciesist bear had the nerve to cross the street.
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DAILY PHOTO: Church of St. Paul, Malacca
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“Beginners” by Walt Whitman [w/ Audio]
How they are provided for upon the earth,
(appearing at intervals;)
How dear and dreadful they are to the earth;
How they inure to themselves as much as to
any -- What a paradox appears their age;
How people respond to them, yet know them not;
How there is something relentless in their fate,
all times;
How all times mischoose the objects of their
adulation and reward,
And how the same inexorable price must still
be paid for the same great purchase.
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BOOKS: “Dark Demon Rising” by Tunku Halim
Dark demon rising by Tunku HalimMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Author Site
On one level this is a folklore-based tale of horror, but – on another level – it is a commentary on tribal village life versus modern life in the super-tribal metropole.
The lead character, Shazral, comes from a long line of Shaman — medicine men. However, in the opening chapter we find that he has moved to the big city, Kuala Lumpur, and has become a successful lawyer. He has a nice office, a big salary, and a fashionable sportscar. He thinks he has it all. Then he’s called to return to the village to see his dying father. Son and father haven’t been on speaking terms because the father wanted Shazral to continue the Shamanic line, but Shazral wanted to escape the village and the strained familial situation that existed since his mother died during his youth. His return sets events in motion, events that will both show his beloved city life isn’t all it seems, as well as drawing him into the family business.
I enjoyed the story and think it was well-crafted and evocative. The backstory provides powerful motive, and the characters are distinctive and worthy of the reader’s consideration. There were a number of typos in the edition that I read (none were detrimental to understanding the story, but they could break the flow of reading.)
I’d recommend this book for readers interested in tales of horror rooted in folklore (in this case Malaysian folklore) and shamanism.
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Tiger Riding for Beginners 