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From the old blog, for archiving purposes.
Jan. 31st, 2007 at 12:28 PM
Embedded in life is that of purpose,
And within purpose there is passion.
Passion to believe,
Passion to hope,
And most importantly, passion to love.
Though many assume prosperity in abundance,
So do many succumb to discern,
that genuine treasures lies in that of the heart.
Power, ignorance and egotism have blinded our eyes,
to the atrocities of now, the sufferings of the innocent.
Wars, famine, ailments, all the consequences of us.
But do not fear, do not be disheartened!
the Sovereign’s profound message still holds strong,
how fortunate we are, that someone believes in our entirety!
Don’t gallop too quickly, however,
the journey to purpose sways back and forth,
hold on tight, because it is no easy ride.
But rest assured,
You are heard, from above and beyond.
From the old blog; for archiving purposes.
Aug. 14th, 2007 at 10:10 AM
Lesson today in Spanish: write a rhyming poem of vowels with at least two stanzas and at least four lines in each.
I HATE RHYMING, LET ALONE RHYMING IN SPANISH!! GRRR!
Anyway, here it is, I tried my best with a blend of cognates!
La vida es verdaderamente una celebración,
aunque habrá muchas complicaciones.
Haga no, sin embargo, permita que ellos afectar su concentración, porque es solamente una confrontación.
La vida es un regalo precioso,
¡Usted nunca sabe, cuando su vida puede caerse rodando apenas un precipicio!
Así, es recordado por favor,
nunca dar por sentado vida.
English translation:
Life is indeed a celebration,
although there will be many complications.
Don’t, however, let them affect your concentration,
because it is merely a confrontation.
Life is a precious gift,
You never know, when your life may just roll off a cliff!
So, please be reminded,
never to take life for granted.
Another poem in Spanish for assignment today.
¿Qué puedo decir yo acerca de la educación?
Es una combinación,
del conocimiento y la aspiración.
Sin ello, usted no tendrá alabanza.
Sin embargo, consigo, usted tendrá una percepción culta.
Con ese propósito en la mente,
aplique la diligencia y practique,
y la verdad que usted encontrará.
English translation:
What can I say about education?
It is a combination,
of knowledge and aspiration.
Without it, you will have no commendation.
However, with it, you will have an enlightened perception.
With that purpose in mind,
apply diligence and practice,
and the truth you shall find.
Chanel Petrus 8 May 2003 – 3 September 2009
Forever Loved
For my baby Chanel…the most loyal and best friend I have ever had. I will always love you my baby, you will always have a special place in my heart.
I remember that look upon your beautiful face,
That said “take me home, and I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”
How could I resist the spell you had cast? I was left but with one choice,
To draw you into my embrace.
Since then, your puppy paws left an indelible mark upon my heart:
I remember the time when I could not walk, when I fell ill,
You were better medicine than any potion or pill.
Even though we could not play or walk around,
In you, unconditional love I cherish and found.
I remember moments the world’s eyes judged and criticized,
You were my salvation that God devised.
As no prejudice or hate flickered on your face,
Such love is lacking in the human race.
No better companion can be found, as darkness fell you stood beside me,
No words need be spoken, on my lap your paws were no absentee.
“Take comfort in me, I will stay with you till the very end,
Although, sometimes my antics might drive you around the bend.”
Your childhood pranks, the shoes you chew and tore,
Running riot through the streets, in happy galore.
Oh no it wasn’t funny, not in the least,
I was petrified beyond belief!
I’ll always remember your love for rides in the car,
How you used to jump in no matter where, near or far.
And how much you loved the sand, the sea, the beach,
Always bounding with endless energy just out of my reach.
Your love for children was an endearing trait,
You tolerated everything they threw on your plate.
They rode you, carried you and tugged on to each ear,
Yet you patiently endured it all, not snapping in rage or fear.
But that was not so when you went on your dates,
Choosy you were with your offered mates.
Those hips you shook high, you held close to ground,
Waiting for the right mysterious one to come around.
And with him, all eight pups that you bore,
Drove me ever so nuts to the core!
And while they did not like massages and forced yoga as much as you,
I know you taught them well as they’ll love their humans true.
It was so brief, your time here on earth,
You were taken abruptly, the years seem a dearth.
I will forever live with regret that I was not there by your side,
To thank you for your eternal love, before you journeyed through the Rising Tide.
Please forgive me, my dear sweet girl,
Just know that you will always be my white and shining pearl.
Precious and beautiful, without blemish or flaw,
Your genuine and unrestricted love resounds in awe.
As I kneel before God, I have but one request,
“Dear Lord, cradle my beloved Chanel and give her my best,
Assure her that she is loved, so deep in my heart,
For I will meet with her one day, and we will NEVER again part.”
(c) Keisha Soma Petrus
Today was my final day for my exams and boy am I glad that’s over……When I came home, I found myself babysitting my favorite lil’ couz Roshan and while I watched him nap, I became inspired….one of those moments you know… I watched his little body sleep, with no worries of the world…. and it made me sad..because I so wished I could freeze time for him…lest he face this brutal world……. Don’t you just miss childhood?
Sleep Baby
Sleep Baby.
Now close your solemn eyes,
A world with no worries, no hardships, no compromise.
Sleep Baby.
May your dreams take you far away,
Never fear Baby, the Light within you shall not go astray.
Sleep Baby.
I pray the train of time will not reach its destination,
So Innocence need not surrender, indeed a sweet sublimation!
Ok, so this is Yi Liang’s and my attempt at imagery…It is pretty much straight forward but it holds a deeper meaning…sort of metaphorical…One would surmise at the end of this poem that we are referring to the racial barrier that plagues this country….we weren’t trying to be condescending but rather, we just wanted to point out the salient truth — that if we transcend above our differences, we may realize that we have more in common than we succumb to think. Let’s bury ou superficial views of one another and stand united as MALAYSIANS.
ENJOY
Across the Great Divide
My dear friends, I implore you, hear me out!
There is a parable you must behold,
So please sit back, you won’t regret,
Listening to the truth unfold.
I strolled along a riverside,
When I heard angry voices in a fight.
Three men arguing, unable to decide,
How to return to their families that night.
They had known each other since their earliest day,
But all were brought by a different guide.
Individually taught unique ways to eat, to sing, to pray,
And now they were trapped, divided by pride.
Mister Ali insisted he had everything he needed,
Bricks, iron and bags of cement.
Unfortunately, a pressing problem interceded,
He had no assistance, a grave impediment.
And yet, there was a solution at hand,
Mister Lee with artisans at his disposal.
But when met with offers to hire his band,
He sent them packing with a crude refusal.
The engineer, Mister Raj, devised an ingenious plan,
to link the suspension safely to ground.
Problems arose, however, in building the span,
He had neither resources, nor workers to boss around.
As I saw the tempers flaring, I brought myself to ponder,
If only they could settle their differences all in stride,
The time they would save and not sheepishly squander,
To FINALLY bridge the gap across the Great Divide!
Summary note:
We wrote this poem as a metaphorical representation of the racial disunity that exists in this country which acts as a barrier for true progress, maturity and harmony. The main challenge in writing this poem was not to offend anyone, but also not to have the poem too vague that our message is lost. We also tried not to abuse clichés and stereotypes, but to use them selectively and carefully to maximize humor and the impact of our message.
© Keisha Petrus and Tan Yi Liang.
A Christmas poem for all:
This poem is dedicated to all who wish to celebrate the Lord’s presence in our lives.
A New Dawn
Let us join hands in prayer, our King is born tonight!
Let us sing praise, because our Miracle is shining ever so bright.
Lord strengthen us, wipe away our woes.
2008 has come and gone,
And some things have been left barren and forlorn.
Teach us Lord to grapple each challenge and put up a fight,
Let it be through You, that we overcome life’s cruel blight.
Lord have mercy on us, grant us Your clemency.
Our hearts have been burdened and weighed down,
For it has been too long that we have worn a frown.
Teach us Lord to forgive so that Your truth will reign clear,
That we may love our friends and family and hold them near and dear.
Lord many of us have gone astray.
Our faith weakened and our souls cut adrift,
as our struggles have caused such a rift.
Teach us Lord to trust and believe, with a sincere passion set alight,
for miracles come when we walk by faith and not by human sight.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
A New Year has come, let the candles glow.
Our Guiding star has steered our course.
With divine purpose, let our love flow,
We have reached a new dawn, may we contribute as a positive force.
(c) Keisha Petrus and Tan Yi Liang
For my last English assignment for AOA, I was asked to compose a free verse poem about any subject. I thought about it and decided to do what I do best: relate a personal experience that taught me a priceless lesson, that is to love myself as I am. In my mid-teens, I became more self-conscious of my weight and I was not proud of it. As a result, I started trying every diet under the sun. Be it the Zone Diet, South Beach Diet, Starvation; I tried it all. And of course I lost a lot of weight in a short span of time but as soon as I leaned towards carbohydrates, my weight would balloon…. with more kilos added on than my original weight. Thus, I would try another diet with a tough exercise regimen and the vicious cycle would continue. In all my time of dieting, I was never happy inside… I was miserable… I use to say to myself, “I will be happy when I am thin, because then people will accept me.” My self-image was affected as a result of this attitude; you know, in placing my happiness in the hands of other people. The turning point for me was when I ate a small piece of cheesecake and felt so guilty about it that I went to the toilet bowl, stuck my finger deep in my throat and made myself vomit out the cheesecake. After that episode, I told myself, “no more”. I am not going to do this to myself anymore. I am not going to abide by society’s fleeting standards of beauty. I was going to rebel against the conventional thinking, and love my body as God intended it to be. I am not saying everyone should be fat and obesed but rather what I am saying is that you need to figure who are you losing weight for? And for what?
As the years go by, my mind grows and matures with it. I have come to realize that not every woman is suppose to be a size 0. I think that being happy with your self-image comes from within. If you are content with yourself, it does not matter whether the rest of the world is. Some people will scorn you, and the rest will accept you just as you are.
A very important message for women is that what you think of yourself is what the world will perceive of you… think about it. Anyway, let my poem relate my experience. I hope my experience may help other young and even old women be at peace with themselves.
I Am Wearin’ My Skin
My message stands tall with pride and grace,
My words in good time shall be like wind,
Brace yourself dear friend, let the breeze propel you,
Trust in my mission, and you will be free to live life’s embrace.
I once was swayed by aesthetic charm,
Beautiful hair, beautiful eyes, beautiful body,
I sweat, I sought, I fought,
To no avail did I reach my Envy.
Lost a few pounds, strapped on my heels,
No more laughter, no more tears.
But my heart knew better, I lacked content,
I yearned, I cried, I prayed for something more than this.
My pleas were answered, my life put in perspective,
Those blossoming belles bore nothing,
Instead engrossed in hopeless insecurity, indeed highly defective,
A hidden image behind a mirror, a roamer’s reflection.
Loving myself is more important than ridding my blemishes,
As women come in many shapes and sizes.
I spend my time now in helping others,
I am wearin’ my skin, no more empty and foolish disguises.
© Keisha Petrus
Summary Note:
I wrote this poem based on my own personal experience with self-acceptance. Society and the mass media, in my personal opinion, should take responsibility to correct this issue among teenage girls because of the rising rate of teenage depression, anorexia, bulimia and obesity. I think that instead of portraying beauty as being thin, we should be working towards a more tolerant and healthy society, one that accepts individuality and embraces diversity. The most important aspect here is empowerment for teenage girls. It is my deepest hope that teenage girls can look beyond society’s standards of beauty and love oneself unconditionally.
I have been in deep contemplation today. I keep thinking to myself, I can write poetry anytime, anyday but it is only when I am inspired that I can write with such passion and emotion. When I am in that trance, it is God who is speaking, I am merely jotting down what He is saying.
As such, I was thinking about Life Poetry, the anthology of poems which Yi Liang and I are composing. I feel that our poetry should be free for all to read for it is through God that we are inspired to write. I want our poetry to reach everyone. After all, I said this from the very start: I write for the common man.
Hence, our plans have changed a little bit. We will still compose the book but we will also publish our poetry as we write on our blogs and the relevant media.
I was deeply inspired today by four women. I saw them coming out of the same car, walking into the restaurant to eat lunch together. Two of the women were Chinese, one was Indian and one was Malay. I was so touched that it brought tears to my eyes. I was thinking to myself, “why can’t the rest of Malaysia be like this?” So it was at that moment that I felt that I needed to write. I needed to convey a message and hence, I, with God’s help, composed “I Hope, I Pray”.
Please, do enjoy. Feedback is welcomed.
P.S. one of my heroes in life is Mattie J. T. Stepanek. I composed this poem as a tribute to his message for peace. Will blog more about him soon.
I Hope, I Pray
Inspired by the works of Mattie J. T. Stepanek.
Dedicated to all Malaysians.
I hope that someday
we can sit around the table for brunch
with our minds and spirits as one family.
I pray that someday
we will learn to realize
that despite our differences, we all descended from THE One.
I hope that someday
schoolchildren will embrace individuality
so that we may strive as a nation of unique solidarity.
I pray that someday
all children will realize
that respect and acceptance are keys to unlock the door to compassion and understanding.
I hope that someday
our citizens may open their hearts
to help the poor, the aging, the disabled.
I pray that someday
our citizens will realize
that magnanimity and selflessness to a worthy cause bring about true contentment.
I hope that someday
institutions which mold our minds will consider
education for all that deserve, so not to abide by some faulty criteria
I pray that someday
those in powerful positions will realize
that education is a token to be earned, so don’t treat it as if it be a frugal expenditure.
I hope that someday
our leaders will join hand in hand
to abolish unjust laws, so to guide us to the rhythm of the marching band.
I pray that someday
Our leaders will realize
that we need them to be our examples; to emulate honesty, diligence and temperance.
I hope that someday
Our people will understand
Yes! we have many religions but we are bound in one body; it is our spirituality
I pray that someday
our people will realize
that we must stand up together as one, as our Creator desired us to be connected as such.
I hope and I pray now
that today will be the day of progression
For it is the choices that we make in our hearts and in our attitudes
to build one humanity and one world.
(c) Keisha Petrus
On 19th of September, I did my very last assignment for Alpha Omega Academy. How did I feel after? I took a breath of relief. Finally, it’s over after five years of slogging through one assignment after the other, waiting patiently to cross the finish line. And BOOM, five years later through all the ups and downs of life, I am DONE! I am grateful to AOA for educating me for those five years though, I feel that my greatest accomplishment out of such a program is my development of writing, I have learned a treasure of knowledge on how to compose and perfect essays and poetry. For that, I would like to thank AOA.
Right now, AOA is finalizing some details before it officially issues my high school diploma along with my high school transcripts and letters of recommendation. I need those three entities to apply to HELP college in January to gain entry into the American Degree Program.
Since the 19th of September, i have been lazing about doing idle pleasures, being a couch potato, watching movies, eating, sleeping, playing the sims and going to the beach with my dogs. I have loved every minute of it, not having the nagging feeling of having to complete my assignments! This also explains why I haven’t been blogging, because I could not be ARSED, LOL.
But now, I’ve decided to put myself back into reality. Last week, I met up with my boss to discuss how I could contribute to Challenges, the magazine that devotes itself to disabled people’s rights. At the end of the meeting, I ended up getting three assignments. I have a mix bag of feelings about it; on one hand, I was enjoying my lazy time and therefore, was in no mood to have deadlines yet again. On the other hand, i was excited about my new job, and how it could keep my mind active and focused.
And yes I am getting paid per article, 150-200 per piece, not bad for a 19 yr-old whose just started her writing career eh? What’s even more cool is that I get to work in the comfort of my own home. yay!
My boss feels that I should first start out small and get the hang of things first, after which she would start giving me field assignments.
What else to keep Keisha’s mind busy? Yes, focusing on writing poetry for my book. I better get cracking on it as I’ve been inconsistent.
Next on the list of things to do? Start SAT prep…. oh great, back to studying… maybe I’ll put this off for another month or so.
Hmm…anyway that’s all for now. you know I just got a new Nikon camera and it broke down on its first week, am so upset cause I took some good pictures of my dogs at the beach and wanted to put it up on the blog….. sigh.. now I have to wait for it to be fixed 
Ciao.
Oh yes, i passed my driving test for my probationary license, yippy yay! And the next post will be part two: on how to obtain a driving license as an OKU or PWD.
Hi Guys, just posting my tribute to my grandfather from my previous blog, can’t believe 4 months have elapsed since I last spoke to him… It’s very hard to lose the pillar of the family, there’s not a week that goes by that I don’t shed a tear for our loss. I never felt this sort of pain before, I have felt the extremes of physical pain but nothing compares to this emotional sense of loss, sigh. The only thing I’ve come to reconcile with is that he is finally free of this cruel world, and he’s having an awesome time in Heaven.
I miss you Grandpa, I really am trying my best to move on.
We’ll Meet Again
In your hands you’ve held my heart,
Cradled in your arms from the very start.
You stood me on my own two feet,
Through you, life’s challenges I did defeat.
You laid your experiences and lessons bare,
With me your wisdom you did share.
Of the two most important, to selflessly care,
And to trust in the Lord up there.
In my life, my father was absent,
But God gave you as my greatest present.
For this, to Him I am eternally grateful,
Grandpa, you were generous and bountiful.
You lay on your bed, I sat in that chair,
Every night our words filled the air.
Chats on politics, from Hillary to Obama,
And then to Iraq, terrorism and Osama.
I will miss those times,
Shedding tears as I pen my rhymes.
But I know we will meet again,
In Sonny days, clear skies, no rain.
.
Grandpa, rest peacefully.
You can close your eyes now
Enter Through Keisha's Mind & Soul. My writings are my life especially when I write for Life Poetry. Visit my blog to hopefully connect and discover a part of yourself as well. Life is tough and the way to get through it is through support and encouragement. My faith is what keeps me going and I often include my spirituality in my poetry as you will see. God is Good!