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Thursday, December 24, 2020

Christmas 2020

 Christmas 2020

By May K

Empty chairs and vacant halls
Lonely streets and quiet malls
Christmas is here, the façade's the same
But oh everything seems so changed

Absence and echoes where there were none before
Missing footprints on the snow fall
A screen on a phone for a smile to our face
A meal alone instead of a gathering place

Oh where's the Christmas heart and cheer?
Where’s the spirit that rejoices the year?
Where's the laughter? The joy? The fun?
Where's the promise? Where's the Son?

Sometimes it feels to ask in vain
In the silent tomb of pain
Sometimes it feels like empty space
Is all the fills this gathering place

Yet as the lone meal is set
I hear a voice saying, “Don’t forget!”
And somehow it seems to me
This place isn’t quite so empty

For a promise has filled the void
A remembrance I can’t avoid
Of times now past, of times to be
That our now is not eternity

And at the table, across time and space
I see into that eternal place
Where all are gathered together as one
To celebrate the birth of the Son

I see them there, our family
Unbroken by sorrow or misery
Cheers and laughter with glasses raised
The air singing with songs of praise

A promise, a remembrance, as the vision fades
And before me the lone meal is laid
For though this moment we must be strong
It’s to that hope that we belong

So as I sit alone, I’ll pray
And say thanks for this Christmas day
For that promise to which I hold on
And Thank God for my savior was born

Merry Christmas, Everyone. Still. 

Copyright © 2020 by Kwek Yi Zhen

Saturday, February 22, 2020

The Chair beneath the Tree


The Chair beneath the Tree

By May K.

How forlorn that chair is
Resting there on its own
How sad and grim it is
That companionable seat, alone

There ought to be a soul there
Content beneath the tree
Where with the souls of nature
It could be set free

Or perhaps two souls could rest
On that plain old chair
For to talk of pasts and of futures
Requires a charming air

Or maybe three could cast
A lovely and joyful spell
One for the past, one for the present
And one for the future as well

But whatever it is
Leave not this chair alone
For a place meant for others
Should never be on its own

Copyright © 2020 by Kwek Yi Zhen

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Hoping and waiting


Hoping and Waiting

By May K

Days come and nights pass
The sun rises and the moon sets
Time flows with terrible consistency
And all is soon! But not yet

Not yet. The time has not come
But who knows when it will?
For how long will I stand by the door
And continue waiting still?

For a sign, for a promise
For a tomorrow I still believe
Will come if I keep on waiting
And grant my heart some relief

For it’s burdened with hope as I stand
Waiting at the door
And until the last second falls
I’ll hope and hope some more

In spite of fears, in spite of doubts
For hope’s a tenacious beast
That has latched onto my heart
With a hold it will not release

But oh it’s trying to wait
To see the sunset and nothing more
To let hope fade and then grow
So I can wait some more

To fall with pain, to sooth with sighs
To stand up with a persistent smile
But I’ve done it for years
What more’s a little while?

So I’ll stand by the door
For lo! Tomorrow’s coming
And so long as it comes
I’ll keep on hoping and waiting

Copyright © 2020 by Kwek Yi Zhen

Sunday, June 2, 2019

Castles in the Sky


Castles in the Sky

By May Kwek

I should like to lie in a garden
And look up at the sky
Where the clouds would freely roam
And the gentle birds would fly

I would watch the changing colours
The varying shades of blue
And when the sunset comes
The reds and yellows too

The sun would shine his radiant rays
In bursts of angelic light
The sky would seem a paradise
Singing in glows dreamlike

And I shall watch and I shall see
The clouds and time roll by
And while watching spent a while
Building castles in the sky

Copyright © 2019 by May Kwek

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Winds of Memory


Winds of Memory

By May Kwek

The wind sings with memory
And I remember each time and place
When I closed my eyes in appreciation
As it blessed me with its grace

For as it whipped through my changing hair
And sang into my ear
That old song that has never ceased
Throughout the changing years

I saw walks alone in gardens
Or amidst bustling crowds
I saw peaceful times at home
Or times by streets loud

I lived as a child again
As carefree as the sky
I lived as a youth once more
Growing wings to fly

And the wind brought back these times
With a smile upon my face
And though I stood and moved not
I breathed in many a time and place

Copyright © 2019 by May Kwek

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

What God is


What God is

By May Kwek

People tell me in times of trouble
To trust in God above
That he would give me what I want
With kindness and with love

Well forgive me my skepticism
For I’ve read too many tales
To believe God will do as I want
And that he always will

Abraham was promised a son
He had to wait so many years
Jacob, his claim to his birthright
But only after much pain and tears

Everyone would bow to Joseph
But first he bowed as a slave
Moses was to lead a nation
But narrowly escaped the grave

Job was to lose everything
And then regain it all
Ruth would be the mother of Kings
But lose her husband and more

David was anointed King
But ended up running for his life
And if that wasn’t enough
He actually did it twice

Elijah was the prophet
Who would never know death
But in life was alone
Without friends and bereft

So don’t say because my prayers aren’t answered
That it means I’m alone
Is the God who gives me all I ask
The only God I’ve known?

Paul was executed
And Peter too
Mary was shamed
Would you say God left them too?

For I know he never left
In trials he was by their side
And you know God is never wrong
Somehow this must be right

So don’t tell me God will do as I want
For the years have taught me this
I will not trust in what God does
I will trust in what God is

Copyright © 2019 by May Kwek

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

A careful view


A careful view

By May Kwek

The sunset slants into the halls
Turning gold the exquisite walls
Illuminating the gentle arches
As nearby sway the tree’s branches

By a table, two people rest
Drinks in hand, dressed to impress
A book lies carelessly on the table
Unintentionally, to them label

The scions of society, the best of the best
Rich, relaxed, and with no stress
Able to enjoy with ample leisure
The evening and the sunset’s pleasures

I saw them as I hurried along
Moving to the pace of a working man’s gong
And in brief folly wanted to be
Exactly as they seemed to be

But then I turned to the view
They seemed to enjoy in their purview
And saw a road and common stacks
A certain charm it certainly lacked

But perhaps it was aptly placed
To remind these people of their place
Standing on high with nothing they lack
Supported by many an aching back

Copyright © 2019 by May Kwek