The Muruku Murmurations

This piece was written after I went for Scott Sneddon's workshop on Performance Poetry and a challenge by Melizarani when she saw my blonde hair. This piece is about layers and how each person has the potential to be more than who they present themselves to be. Let's be proud of who we are. Lyrics were taken from Justin Bieber's What Do You Mean Let's make Malaysia great again Let's make the world a better place Let's take away the pain Let's take away the rat race. Let me shake your hand And take your hand So we can make a stand At the front of this stage On this rich and flourishing land And put in motion what we have planned. We have come to an age Where words don't stay on a page They are typed out on timelines And taking and giving offense is now fine Animals are allowed out of their cage To be proud roaming predators To instil fear and go on a rampage And let out their rage. I think everybody is trying hard. It ...

This piece was written during The Muddy Confluence, a workshop put together by Afi Noor and Lily Jamaludin from Speakcity Asia for Projek Dialog and  Thinkcity 's Pesta Puisi Kota . A day filled with spoken word, heavy topics that hit home, and a melting pot of beautiful muddy poetry. Prompt: Write 14 lines about how you arrived at this city and what makes Kuala Lumpur your home. Kring... Kring... Kring... Nenekku sampai di jeti (My grandmother arrives at the jetty) Kulitnya kering dari Gunung Timur Cina (Her skin dry from the East Mountains of China) Kurus kering badannya. (Her body; just skin and bones.) Kring... Kring... Kring... Datukku sampai ke stesen kereta api (My grandfather arrives at the train station) Kulitnya kasar menjadi orang buruh (His skin rough being a labourer) Melombong bijih timah (Mining tin) Bertemu di Jalan Petaling-ling-ling-ling (They meet in Petaling-ling-ling-ling Street) Di mana Wong and Tang bertemu dengan harapan. ...

This was a homework assignment that was given by director Chris Ling for the #MalaysiaThrowsHerselfABirthdayParty spoken word theater show. This is a poem written for MALAYSIA. You have been swept over by waves and waves of men Of different colours and loud deafening voices All wanting to reap of a free land A land that is rich and pregnant with potential A land where rulers couldn't measure up to the lead nation When they bartered jengkal, hasta and depa For the value of currency and what the powers that be define economy. Your straits were promised to become straighter And your quarries will be excavated to become industries for quality Resources stripped of its sources by the sorcery called segregated education Fields ploughed by our own hands get handed over to the fiends claimed as legal pirates. Celebrating your own 60th birthday because you want so much to be counted as a senior citizen To reap of the benefits because so much has been taken from you B...

I wrote this as an ode to a wonderful explorer I met who connected with me in a very unexpected way. He truly is an adventurous soul. Thank you for the dances, the stories and the memories. Joyeux anniversaire Sylvain ! You are a synergy of sorts Transforming energy From song to song, From dance to dance Translating rhythm into motion And motion into expression. The way you soak in every moment How you take the time to live The way you steer with the flow Allowing connections to form Perceiving the stimuli around you Allowing yourself to absorb. Your lips speak of humble things Simple exclamations Of pure satisfaction Pursed with the indulgence Of the sweeter things in life. The freckles on your skin Map out every place you have ever been Every wrinkle Is every line from a story From the days you lived And the hours you spent living. You are alive And living things should never be limited You let it grow Let it explore It never stops Never...

This blogpost is a behind the s cenes  thought process of how the ' View Points ' piece and performance came about. It is The Muruku Murmurations 2nd year Anniversary, 23892 views on the blog and 400 likes on Facebook! Much thanks and appreciation is due and this is probably the best way/place to start. This piece came about as I was trying to write something new for the slot I signed up for If Walls Could Talk Vol. 36 this July. It is a rare opportunity for me to be given a chance to perform twice in a month and I am tremendously thankful for it. My first performance was the Rather Spectacular! Showcase which was a result of the So Fab Lah! Workshop conducted by Spill The Ink and facilitated by Scott Sneddon . For 3-4 hours over the course of four days, we had a rather intensive workshop that produced spectacular results. We learned the Suzuki Theatre Method and had a glimpse into the world of the View Points Method. It is true that this wasn't for ...

This piece was written and performed during If Walls Could Talk Vol 36 It was written with aspects of Viewpoints and Physical theatre incorporated in its presentation. It is definitely a piece best watched and I do want to keep molding this piece into something that impacts and breath-taking. Suzuki says it takes three years for an actor to assimilate his method. In his training in Japan with his Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT), Suzuki attempts to bridge the gap between the style of traditional Japanese Noh and Kabuki and that of modern theater. Jan 23, 1985 Look at this view! This point of view is amazing! Look over here! Look over there! Look to the North and to the South! Look to the East and to the West! Look at what's in front and behind you Look around and now, within you Close your eyes and see what is in your view. Point to the bar Point to the exit Point to the stage Point to the lady with beautiful long hair Po...

I made a recent getaway to Singapore and wanted to spend some time living and exploring. I sought out this place not by chance but by pure attraction to a night of fond memories and a new found haven. Your trip will not be complete until you visit The Other Room . A part of this piece was performed at Rather Spectacular! Showcase led by Scotty Wings . He made all this writing possible and has transformed me with his dedication and work. 'Shadows' was performed with Afi Noir, Jack Malik and Dhinesha. It was a liberating experience courtesy of Spill The Ink Poetry Lab and If Walls Could Talk Here resides the lurking shadows of curiosity Where the unknown meets the wandering soul There is nothing more than finesse and character Carefree and wild is the playful creator. Sitting in the corner where the corners of her smile meets the crow's feet of her eyes Her face caressed by the delicate light that shines from the warm fluorescence Leaving a silhouett...