If the page does not display correctly, click here. I stood on the edge of a road bustling with people and cars. “Awas!” read a sign in Malay. The roads in Kuala Lumpur were, as in most cities, littered with signs that cautioned drivers of impending doom should they heed no warning as they zipped past roadworks and construction sites. “Awas,” was for all intents and purposes, _attention, hazard, achtung–_call it what you will, in Malay.

“Hope can make you lose sight, kid,” Rutherford said, “it can blind you from the truth, it can take your mettle and turn it into that which is worse than nothingness. You can falter and fall far quicker than you thought possible.” The frail, old man said those words as though he lived them, as though his being felt every nuance of hope’s danger during his eighty-odd years of living.

A song, untitled about a star goes like this A fallen angel her wings of fame were now of shame Cocooned by her wings she wept her worry with no hurry A corpse of fame past lifeless, like roadkill A life, untitled carried away by carrion crows

The doors open the seats are soiled the faces are sullen I touch the cold, steel bar I hold on to it The doors close the train moves every shudder travels up my arm Faces unknown to me or to one another show nothing hide everything The train stops the doors open Faces move some towards the light far above others to another train deep down below

Scribbles on a McDonald’s napkin thoughts so far and so near from McArabia to McGreek and Big Macamericana as well Carbs proteins fats minerals and vitamins These things of life will not be so if not for water So here’s a Coke for it’s got water Have a nice day, now _Note: I haven’t sold out to corporates. In fact, if anything, I’d encourage a healthy, balanced diet of coffee and chocolate.

Happiness he sought into a dream he slipped A dream so fanciful and all like clouds so high up Skies upon skies A trance of faith and hope and courage embraced his being By divine mirth his ego was no more for he was one with all Higher, he rose ergo, he saw further below The good amongst the scum, he saw the strong amongst the weary the saints amongst the sinners

Last night I, along with bloggers Ayesha Saldanhaand Deonna Kelli Sayed, was invited to participate in a special Elhamevent regarding the role of blogging in cultural development, with particular emphasis on the literary aspect of online writing. I read several of my posts and answered some very interesting questions from the attendees. This was my second Elham participation (I participated in the first Elham gathering in November of last year.) As usual, Deonna Kelli Sayed, Phoebe Boswell,Al Riwaq Galleryand of course Ali Al Saeed(who unfortunately couldn’t make it as he was abroad,) did a wonderful job of organizing it.

In her mortal cage she scurried from one end to another She read it all left none well alone trying, hoping to find a raison d’être I am to be, she said as I am forever perhaps for a day perhaps Until one day the bars of her cage were no more Until one day she was on the other side

In the garden of life we met Hello, we said In a summer of love we came set aflame we were In the garden of life love we found Happy, happy together happy to have met each other Click on the image above for a larger version. Original image (19/03/2007, Bahrain): __ __Camera: Sony Alpha 100 DSLR

To dream is to be, to foresee the possible, the potential. A dreamer perchance, a hopeless romantic perhaps. Dream and devour the world as if it’s your own canvas. Freely draw your brush against its landscape. You’ll be right sometimes, you’ll be wrong sometimes. Some of the time, you wouldn’t know if you’re right or wrong. You’ll just be yourself unabashedly reckoning with the triad of life, the universe and everything else; looking for truth.