A
Sweet Meet
Written
Originally by Jennifer Soh Li Wen, 18th February 2012, Saturday,
3:53 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Plus Extra Time Later in the Evening), In My Middle Room,
University Heights, Specially Dedicated to My Appreciative Brother and Neighbour,
Peter Soh Weng Khai.
So there was he,
Following a she;
A friend to be,
A neighbor to me.
He came by visiting,
One afternoon;
I was cleaning,
In the washroom.
She didn’t call me,
As I was busy;
She knew I was in,
I knew there were people coming.
That was daylight,
Then came the night;
They who were outside,
Finally came inside.
“Jennifer, this is Peter,
Peter, this is Jennifer,”
said Amanda,
our beautiful sista.
That was it,
That was the sweet meet;
He looked so fit,
I was so full of flesh-meat.
Amanda was graduating,
Everything became exciting;
From hairdressing to make-upping,
From hugging to hopping.
I complimented her curly long hair,
He managed on all her natural fair;
The morning she went up there,
The DTSP stage, oh, so grand!
Peter and Jennifer,
What a coincidence!
Next meet up was even better,
We ate like no man’s business!
Yummy steamboat,
All through the throat;
Sick of consuming biscuit, bread, and oat,
We gobbled till we float and bloat.
We shared our stories,
All with mixed feelings;
We grew up in different territories,
But we realized we think of the same things.
After our happy meal,
We went back with zeal;
We had a good deal,
His kebaya I made real.
Nyonya kebaya,
The name is already so bergaya;
I took photos with jaya,
Then I started to berkarya.
To him,
I’m a wordsmith;
To me,
He’s a culture-smith.
Up till today,
Five poems I portray;
Based on what he requested,
About questions in life answered-unanswered.
Fourth time was sober,
We talked to each other;
He came with a burden,
He left with a comfort.
Our meet ups,
Know no sense of time;
We can talk about how life sucks,
In the end actually beauti-meaningful is in fact also life.
Once there was a wedding,
I saw his number calling;
I went to see him smiling,
To his camera I encouraged him posing.
Friday evening,
I was online-ing;
Again I heard him calling,
He was at my door standing.
A Valentine’s Day cake he presented,
Red chocolate ladybird a slice;
His at-the-moment-1Malaysia-housemate, Hisyam waited,
The cake was my late dinner, oh, thank God, how nice!
Satisfying Saturday,
That is how I’d say;
At Starbucks @ Borders, Queensbay,
Coffee and coffee all the merry way!
Peter,
Jennifer;
Rhythmic name,
Soh is our surname.
He believes in Buddha,
Everything has Karma;
I’m a Christian,
Together we’re so Eastern-Asian-Malaysian.
We can chat about anything,
From head to toe;
From A to Z,
You name it,
We just click!
Perhaps it is because I treat him as my brother,
Although different mother and father;
Who knows somehow or rather?
We’re of the same ancestor?
He’s so funny,
Surely I laugh;
He loves Peony,
I love Gerbera.
Our identities,
Very Chinese;
But not to many,
Who think we are foreign.
That is the nice part,
Of our physique side;
On our emotion side,
We speak heart to heart.
God has plans for everybody,
No money also still can live;
He sent Peter to me,
I thank Him in every hymn.
Today’s breakfast coffee turned lunch,
We chatted so much;
He said, “How can someone be so similar to me?
The thought, principle, and etc.”
This society is so hectic,
We see things differently;
The Earth is ill and sick,
We hear Mother crying silently.
Who are we to be?
A digital human being?
Can we return?
To the time when we were still children?
We are now in our twenties,
People now prefer Twitter over Twisties;
This world is beyond imaginary,
Facebook is now an every-second-diary.
Where are our ting-ting and congkak?
Where is the legendary masak-masak?
Why are some people so willing and terdesak?
To play video games until they become pekak?
We’ll not bring new lives,
If our diet is always french-fries;
We rather adopt existing lives,
Water the plant before the leaf dries.
There are so many things,
Happening in our minds;
We just hope for a better living,
Beware of what we can’t-don’t see behind.
Peter’s blessing is ever upon him,
Sincerely I’m very happy for him;
From family to academia to love mania,
I’m glad he knows that wealth is temporary nia.
Peter,
My Soh brother;
Please don’t go any thinner,
Height and weight do matter.
I thank you for being who you really are,
I’m sure you’ll go far like a star;
Fly high and reach the scarlet sky,
Touch the rainbow and keep asking why.
Time passes by,
We laugh and we cry;
Between truth and lie,
Between hi and goodbye.
I’m not afraid of death,
If I lose my health;
Don’t give me wealth,
Just sustain your breath.
No matter what you do,
I’ll be there for you;
I’m a human, too,
I’m sorry if I did anything wrong to you.
We truly thank you so much, Amanda,
For meeting both of us;
Even though you’re not here,
You’re still one of us.
I’ve no regrets of coming to USM,
Including staying in Penang;
Peter feels the same way, too,
Adapt, change, and challenge for a stronger you.
Face to feet,
A sweet meet;
Tortoise to discreet,
Another time we greet.
