A Sweet Meet

A Sweet Meet

Written Originally by Jennifer Soh Li Wen, 18^th 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.