The Scribbles of a Lonely Traveller

Without your blessing
I'm nothing
more than a walking dead
I walk
but don't know
where I'm walking
I eat
but don't know
the flavors of food
I sleep
but don't know
what sweet dreams are
I write
but don't know
the meaning of my words

If you
pick a pure white lily
for me
and place it
on the tomb
of my innocent youth
I'll write you
the last poem of romance
and bury it
in the tomb
along with
the bewitching mirage
of your mesmerism

I wrote a poem for you
but I haven't sent it to you
still kept in a jar
beside a bunch of purple lavender
Although
we're half a world apart
you should've read the words
by now
for they're from the depths
of my heart

Revised

Tired of living a life
of sparrows
gleaning grains
left in the field
here and there
by some reapers
chitchatting
about trivial matters
all day long
and killing life
without mercy
this way
I wish to fly away
some day
and high up
in the vast
and mysterious heavens
like carefree cranes
if not like
those magnificent eagles
Nevertheless
on second thought
I'm afraid
it might be too cold
up there
let alone lonesome

All my life
I've enjoyed flying
like a migratory bird
I never thought
I'd get tired
both of and from flying
one day
for it was my joy
my freedom and my life
In the next life
if there is one
I wish
to be a piece of cloud
roaming in the sky
and seeing this fantastic world
in a carefree way
eternally
never getting old
not to mention
getting sick and lonesome
On the other hand
I'll be more than willing
and happy
to turn myself
into timely rains
the moment
when people need me

It must've been windy
and rained heavily
last night
in late July
for I find
a rainbow of fallen leaves
in the morning
lying serenely
on the tree shaded street
I long to linger
a bit longer
like a butterfly
to admire the beauty
but alas
people around me
are in such a hurry
that I can't help flowing
with the wind
and let the beauty
of nature go unseen

You're a pretty poem
and I'd like
to read you fondly
in the serene morning
when you're most
enthralling
In the meanwhile
I won't feel at a loss
when you're constantly
and forever changing
like a kaleidoscope
for I know
the only thing
that won't change
is the true colors of
your beauty


REvised

What's lying ahead of me
How should I know
I'm anything but a prophet
Since life is foxy
I have no choice
but to be prepared
to be tough
as the wild grass
struggling
to grow in a barren field
instead of
a tender fragile strawberry
pampered
in the greenhouse

Hiking up a hill
on a shaded lane
through the woods
on a late summer afternoon
I was feeling
the comfortable cool season
of falling leaves
was right around corner
though it was still smoking hot
in the city nearby
The higher I went
the more refreshing
the breeze was
and I was under the illusion
that I was returning
to the garden of Eden
It was so intoxicating
that I fell asleep
in the leafy shade
of some Banyan trees
Had it not been for the call
of some wild squirrels
I'd have missed
the evening glow
when I was walking
down the hill

A beauty is a beauty
You're always pretty
no matter what petal
you put on your fantastic body
I have no word
whenever I feel your allure
In this mundane world
there's no flower
bringing me more joy
than you're acting coy

When the sun is blazing
and the air is hot
you transform yourself
into a cool green parasol
for those homeless lady bugs
to seek shelter in
And when it's pouring
cats and dogs
you act as a natural umbrella
to those helpless frogs
You endow those
who feed on
and take advantage of you
with nutrition
as well as yummy flavors
rather than poison them
Every day
you struggle hard by yourself
simply to survive
in either the flooded
or the dry land
There's a stupid question
which I dare not ask
but it has been lingering
on my mind for too long

What's the purpose
of your struggle
and the meaning of your life

In the blink of an eye
the midsummer night's dream
has disappeared
without trace
I wake up
and notice
the month of late summer
is quietly lying
in the waning sunshine
and I have a feeling
the pleasant season
when maple trees
are turning most colorful
and beautiful
is just around the corner
yet
when I look into the mirror
I find a total stranger
with a head of gray hair
sighing
feeling nostalgic
for a lost childhood

If you're still feeling lazy
from the fading
summer heat
I'll ride
on a falling leaf
to knock
at your window
and to whisper
in your ear
the most gorgeous
season is here
to stay
so that you may
open your window
as well as your heart
to feel
the golden hues
gradually
taking over
the green rice field
along with the forest
on the hill

What a stormy day
It happens to be Saturday
Typhoon Soudelor
is roaring and howling outside
like a raging monster
Feeling extremely bored inside
Rainbow sister
I think of you
Whenever I feel blue
no one can make my day
but you
As a heavenly rainbow
you never grow old
However
I'm afraid
my life has been wasting away
during one day of foul weather
after another

Sigh
How refreshing
this late summer morning
While I'm intoxicated
by the fragrance
of a water lily
a butterfly
coming out of nowhere
graceful
as a young girl
starts hovering
over a pink petal
She's so soaking
in the beauty
that she doesn't even notice
I'm sitting by her side
in silence
let alone knowing
that I assume
she's more charming
than the blossom

I woke up
to a cool morning today,
hearing little birds
chirping a farewell tune.
So I guess
they're leaving
for the warmer south.
If only
I could travel with them,
I'd float like a fallen leaf
on a clear stream
to a far-off tropical island.
and gaze up at nothing
but those fluffy polar bears
sauntering high
above the blue sky.
When I'm tired and lazy
I'd gently close my eyes,
and quietly
daydream my life away.


Revised

Innocent youth
is a misty sweet dream
in spring
It's as good as a disaster
to wake up
and find
tender green leaves
and the beautiful beloved
have both gone
while the maples
are still busy
painting the woods
yellow and distraught

I thought
you had gone
a couple of weeks ago
when it was getting cooler
and kept raining
without end
My sky was so gray
wherever I went
that it seemed impossible
to predict where
the limit of sorrow was
But why
all of a sudden
you showed up this afternoon
without notice
while I was getting
used to the bleak streets
all by myself
and a world
without sunshine

September again
and again
I think
I'm getting more faded than
those yellow trembling leaves
in the saddening autumn
I think
I'm not afraid
to float away any second
from this Alice wonderland
but I'm still getting
more and more distraught
for I've been worrying
I've left nothing
to honor my beloved ones

If you're still feeling lazy
from the fading
summer heat
I'll ride
on a falling leaf
to knock
at your window
and to whisper
in your ear
the most gorgeous
season is here
to stay
so that you may
open your window
as well as your heart
to feel
the golden hues
gradually
taking over
the green rice field
along with the forest
on the hill


~~Revised

After I
by chance
raise the window shade
I'm overjoyed
to see
numerous light
as well as dark green leaves
are enjoying themselves
on some evergreen tree tops
and swaying
in early autumn breezes
In the far distance
some soft white clouds
like amiable old fellows
are sitting still
against the good old blue sky
and quietly
as I do
Maybe
in a thousand years
this peaceful scene
will remain the same
but it will be another guy
sitting where I am
and meditating
on the meaning
of life and this world

Thanks to
the sentimental season
my heart was getting stone colder
and colder
Bright sunny days
were all but gone
How could I
survive the coming cold weather
without flowers
but only falling leaves
after falling leaves
falling like snowflakes
at the North Pole
The moment
you sent a friend request
to me
saying
you liked my poetry
you turned not only
maple leaves to flame
but also
this poor heart of mine
But please forgive me
for calling a spade a spade
Forget about the silly question
Who cares
how old this good old earth is
as long as we
still enjoy this lukewarm autumn
to the full
Maybe
soon we'd forget about
the icy old man
will be around the corner
in the long run

When flame trees
only bloom
in memory
summer wind
has gone
chasing
after the shadow of spring
traveling far
and leaving behind
only some
withered heart shaped leaves
dreaming
of those flowering trees
once blooming
in an exotic land

When autumn is also drunk
with the sweet golden wine
of the setting sun
and lying down
under the flame maple trees
a smirking wind nearby
a witness to all this
starts laughing
swirling
a wood of falling leaves
into a shower
of flying colorful confetti



Revised

Nice description of the wind blowing up leaves as confetti falling.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by YesNo

Nice description of the wind blowing up leaves as confetti falling.

---

Thanks, YesNo, for your kind comment.

I've begged
the autumn breeze
time and again
to knock at your door
as well as your window
on my behalf
yet there's no response
as always
The leaves are falling
like crazy
and I'm leaving
for I can't bear
to imagine one day
all the lush green trees
may turn bare
I'm leaving
for I hate to see
the serene blue sky
is turning grey

When the wind blows
there is no need
imploring me to stay
for I'm floating away
like a puff of cloud
in no time
When the wind blows
I'll leave
the beautiful sky
and the flowery meadow
for you
for I know
in the long run
I was doomed to live
the life of a lone wolf
from the start

Before you left
I never thought
I'd miss you so much
that I turned myself into a tin man
totally incapable
of recalling
where I lost my heart
and my soul
How come
I never kept an eye
on the most graceful daisy
when it was here
shining like the day's eye
Maybe
it was my fault
to take it for granted
that a carnation should be smiling
even in winter
let alone in summer
Now
it's about time
to utter the word
but I feel far too ashamed
in your presence

I was pleasantly surprised
to find
the humble house was lighted again
just a few meters
before I got home
I foolishly presumed
it was you
that had come home
But
on second thought
at this late hour of night
it seemed next to impossible
When I opened the door
I felt so lost and alone
In fact
it was I that had forgotten
to turn off the light
before going to work
How come
I never appreciated
the same heartwarming light
that you had shone
in my gloomy room
until you no more waited there
for me

If we're destined
to roam
all our life
like floating duck weeds
easier to separate
than to cling to each other
then why not
let a small river
carry us to wherever
the water flows
The time
when we're happy together
may seem short
as a joke
yet it sure is as long
as eternity
in our sweet memory

If your beauty
is a rainbow after the rain
let me bear the pain
in the rain
If you're a butterfly
in graceful flight
let me be the caterpillar
a thorn in the eye
If you're the lovely
morning sunlight
l'm forever ready to be
the lonely night

The leaves keep falling
but I'm not going
to blame it on the ruthlessness
of the cold weather
or try to do something
to change
this seemingly unfair cruel world
On the contrary
I'll be simply sitting here
and watching
Nature take its course
It's not because
I know
there're always evergreens
somewhere somehow
but because
those leafless withered trees
will surely be green again
next spring

I'm feeling blissful
this morning
It's not because
it's raining and cold outside
but
because I have you
in the depth of my heart
I can keep smiling
wherever I go
It's not that
the sky is gloomy gray
today
but
that I'm missing you
no matter where I am
I'm still able to laugh heartily
It's not because
the season of flowers
has long gone
but because
I truly care about you

Why have I been so unenlightened
that I haven't planted
an ocean of sunflowers
on the inside
of this melancholic heart
There may be
once in a while
thunderstorms on earth
but they're gone without fail
sooner than later
as those floating clouds
vanish in the sky
before you know it
Why am I so dumb
that I keep forgetting
to close both of my eyes
so as to be able to take a look
at those cheerful smiles
with the mind's eye
when in deep despair

In spite of the fact
that late autumn
has thrown
the memory of summer
into the shade
yet today
the sun smiles brightly
all the same
and warmly
on this evergreen island
with a tropical climate
But
it's strange
that I'm still lukewarm
once in a while
and feel like crying
instead of singing
Perhaps
I haven't learned
how to get along well
with foul days
Perhaps
it's time
to love them
better than fair days

Whose hand is it
that has sneakingly
opened the book of life
to the page
of gloomy November
After the story of love
has passed its prime
what else is left
to rhyme
Like a wandering rover
having gambled away
all but his precious time
I'm hesitating
to venture out again
on the thin ice
at this time of the year
when the merciless winter
on the outside
is ambushing
like a fierce polar bear
far and near

If it's likely
to drown worry
in whisky
I'd have drowned it
a thousand of years ago
If there's a way
to assassinate sorrow
I won't have to
wait until tomorrow
to murder it

Though roses are red
and pretty
and if you happen
to be a rose too
I'm afraid
I can't love you
any more
I'm sorry
to have to say so
It's not because
you may be thorny
but because
you're beautiful
only in a greenhouse
whereas I'm only alive
and kicking
in nature
Perhaps
I should set my affections
more on weeds
for it may bring tears
to my eyes
to see a rose
become feeble and wilt
in the wild

Isn't it funny
When you're not here
I yearn greatly
for the sweetness
of apples
Nevertheless
why do I seldom notice
those two red apples
on your rosy cheeks
when you're here
with me
Isn't it more funny