Congratulation

Congratulation is a word we said to please or to support other person or something because of any progress that has been made.

Sometimes that progress can be any small thing or even some big things. Sometimes, the progress can be about something that just started, going on or something that has been done.

Nevertheless, a progress is something relative for which to somebody it is significant but to other may not always the same. This depends on every individual who perceives and feels it.

Sometimes, the word ‘congratulation’ itself has rather became a cliché as we often use it for something insignificant. However, to perceive and to feel that something is truly significant or not is somehow depends on every individual.

To me, the word ‘congratulation’ is a precious gold coin. Thus I would love to reserve well my gold coin and will only give it to somebody or something that deserves it when I could perceived and felt that the thing that was done did have a value or significance for me to give away my precious-gold-coin and that its significant is not only imply to me but also to everyone regardless of how small or how big the impact is.

-Pássabe, Oecusse (Timor-Leste)
June 14, 2018

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Gentlemen’s Hangout in Maubisse.

Two men on sunbathing chat in Maubisse, Timor-Leste

‘My Brother’

‘Yes’

‘What a beautiful morning, is it not?’

‘Yeah. It is indeed.’

‘The sun rays are nicely warm.

‘Yeah. It is.’

‘Let’s do sunbathing with these lovely babies of ours.’

‘Sure, my brother. They will love it.’

—

‘My dear brother…’

‘Yes.’

‘Something is bothering me.’

What is it? Do tell me. 

‘I received a news that a relative from my wife’s family has just passed away.’

‘Oh poor you… Sorry to hear that. So why it bothers you?’

‘I do not have enough money to submit for my family clan’s contribution. May I ask you to lend me some? Please do help me’

‘Oh man… No worry. I’ll see what I can do for you later. But now, let us enjoy this beautiful sunbathing first.’

Maubisse (Timor-Leste), September, 2017.

Nina’s Death

Monday night, at around 8 pm

Nina just passed away

After hospitalized for seven hours

For drinking certain milliliters of poison 

From a bottle of  battery water.

The medicals tried their best

But ended up unsucces.

‘Nina passed away?’ The father asked. 

‘My Nina passed away?’  The mother asked.

‘No, this is impossible!’

‘This cannot be!’

‘Ninaa, our beloved Ninaa…No…’

‘You cannot do this to us, your parents. 

You cannot leave us like this, oh my dear, my only beloved daughter. 

How can you  do this to us, my dear?’ 

‘Lord, have mercy on us.’

***

Nina, an adolescent girl. She was the only girl among her two brothers sibling. She was on her last semester of bachelor at a local university in Dili. 

On the night of her death, the whole family and relatives were shocked. They said on her last day she did not appear to act odd at all. 

In the morning she still went to the nearby shop to buy electricity credit cards for pre-paid electricity at their house. Everything seemed normal.

She did not say anything strange or harsh to anyone either. She went on quiet and serene. They said she had been a quiet girl since she was a little girl and the most quiet girl in the family. 

Now, the family are all shocked and confuse on why she ended up her life that way. They said, they have no idea why Nina did so. She did not say anything at all during the day before she was hospitalized. 

Now, they said they do not know why at all.

But I do not believe them.

Nina has a secret she kept or the family has a secret to keep. 

Nina…

May her soul rest in peace.

Dili, 2 July 2018.

The White Cloud

Long time ago, when I was still a child, I loved to see the white cloud floating up in the sky. I was curious on how that white cloud could always float that way and did not fall.

When I heard people saying that the cloud falls back to the earth as rain, I continued to not believe that the rain is the cloud that turned itself.

Today, when crissing this cloud and looking at them through the galass window, I still admire how this cloud that from the down there my eyes saw as a solid form can be penetrated by the aiplanewithout destroying it.

This cloud keeps floating as usual. Perhaps, it is the same with my hope that I shall have.

On the Sky of Dili-Oecusse, 6/2018

Talita kum

Talita kum, my Soul

For you are the true essence

Of my abstract life

The basic substance

on the fuel of my machine body

With you I found my reason to live

Talita kum, my mind

For you are the fuel

That joints all my body spareparts

With you,

I know I am not a merely a fucking life machine.

Talita kum, my body

For you are the outer body part of me, a machine

I am a machine designed for life

To entertain life is my aim

But I am more than a machine

I do not wanted to be machine at all

So go fight that controller

Beat it to your feet

Let you be its controller

Talita kum… talita kum.. 

Oh my body

my mind 

and my soul.

The Hot Wisdom Tea

Every morning, the universe pour the hot wisdom tea from its teapot to my small tea glass.  

I have to wait till it gets warm before I could sip it slowly to finish. 

Sometimes, I also have to blow it so I can inhale its smell.

If I drink it at one gulp, then I will not truly feel its  sweetness.

Batugade, 22/6/2018

Unheard

It’s 10 pm, you already fell asleep

It’s 12 am, and my mind cannot sleep

I tossed to left, I tossed to right

Still I cannot get myself right

On this cotton bed cover

I shed my tears, getting myself uncover

I know you do hear me sobbing

But your ears may have no opening

Here, in our bedroom, I am crying

But here, also in our bedroom, you remain deafening.

Bedroom, 24/6/2018

FOR THE WORLD CUP

‘Hey listen,
I like Argentina.’
‘You like Brazil?‘
‘He likes France.’
‘She likes Germany.’
‘We like Italy…’
‘You like Mexico?’
‘They like Portugal.’
‘Each of us with our preferences, right?’

Every night, here we gather
In front of a TV screen belongs to a decent neighbour.
Watching the soccer match starts
scanning who the players are
judging how well they perform
betting which team will won at last
Yelling when one shoots the goal
Cursing when one cannot make it
Counting the time slot, analyzing the penalty, describing the match. Dramatically.
‘It is fun. It is intense. Stimulating. Dissappointing’. Everybody comment.
For almost a month will we bound to this gathering
As this is the month of World Cup
With a hot Timor coffee served in the plastic cup
By the mumbling wife of the TV owner.

VZ

Villa-verde, 19/6/2018.