Poetry Exercies: Heroic Verse

Here I am, sleepy headed on late Sunday morning after having had wine and barbequed feast the night before. However, I'm determined to try and keep up some semblence of pace on this poetry writing.

So here is the next exercise Stephen Fry set. The instructions were to write in heroic verse ie iambic pentameter rhymed couplets. A contemporary monologue of a guy stoned off his head and trying to explain away a packet of cannabis found in his possession.

Trying to write this while being sleepy and tired gives me some sense of what it must be like to try and string logical thoughts together while in a semi-stupor.

To all you non-Singaporeans/Malaysians out there, this is written in Singlish: the bastardised version of English as she is spoke in my beloved country.

Explaining Away A Packet of Cannabis:
Aiyah! sir ah, this one how can mine one?
I *tole* you al-rea-ddy someone put it in for fun
Like joke like that - into my bag. I know
I know: you don't believe, ah, but it's so.
So suay. My friend, he run away. Lagi
Now worse for me. Aiyah, you search prop'ly
Neh mind neh mind. U don't believe? Is true
You say it's what? kah-na-bis? I no clue
This word I say also cannot. Ear-lier
When he give me, he say curry powder!


Needless to say i'm sure the cops didn't believe his story.

Suay: unlucky

Poetry Exercise: the Ballad

I do not like writing ballads. It's a bit like liking country and western music. Maybe I can like a tune or two and it is catchy to hum or sing along. But writing it is a different story. I find it really hard to be that exaggerated with my emotions or that sentimental. However in the name of doing Stephen Fry's exercise poetry exercise number 12, I did at least write a couple of stanzas so I can say I did it.

Now gather round and let me tell
The tale of Danny Wise
And how his sweet wife Annabelle
Did suck out both his eyes

And if I tell the story true
And if I tell it clear
There's not a mortal one of you
Won't shriek in mortal fear

Sweet Annabelle and Dany Wise
Did love each other so
But late one night he heard some cries
And ran to her too slow

By then the vampire bit her neck
And though he chased it far away
His wife was white and sick
Next moon, she turned. And well, the rest is history

Kungfu Panda - Go Watch!

Today I decided despite the busy-ness of work, to take time out to watch Kungfu Panda with my aikido mates. It was a good choice. Huge amount of fun and I was laughing out loud throughout much of the movie. Po, the main character, is of the bumbling hero lineage and one of the funniest scenes is when he is trying to get into the training grounds where everyone has gone to watch the martial arts display before the next Dragon Warrier is chosen.

What i really liked were the fight scenes which are so reminiscent of the kungfu movies and the magical way in which the martial artists often do the gravity defying huge leaps and bounds. I always find that only in animation does this ever seem real to me. Flesh and blood would represent too much reality. I'm too much of a realist to be able to suspend belief for real flesh and blood actors but am quite happy to suspend normal laws of gravity and live in my imagination with animated movies. The animation world can almost perfectly represent for me the platonic ideal plausibly.

I won't say too much more as I don't want to spoil the show for anyone who watches it but I have to say it's the best movie I've seen in this genre for a long long time. It's great for any age.

Oh and I totally identify with Po's "I eat when I'm stressed" line :).