Wednesday

Traveller Verse 1

He's a traveller. A tired, lonely one.

One day, he arrives at a small, peaceful and welcoming village during his journey. Did I mention that the traveller's a Chinese? Well, he is. And stopping by such a hospitable place reminds him of the family he had left behind.

He suddenly recalls a verse he once came across:
枯 藤 老 树 昏 鸦, 小 桥 流 水 人 家
ku teng lao shu hun ya, xiao qiao liu shui ren jia
-by 马致远, 《天静沙》
Direct translation would be:
Dried cane and a listless crow upon an old folk tree (which literally shows the anxiety of a traveller),
Small bridge over flowing water and a pleasant home (which is almost the direct inverse of the first line, showing the traveller's desire for a home).

Travellers live within loneliness and dwell within memories of love and home.

He feels at home in the village, and yet, a huge pang of loneliness hit him. This feels like his home, no doubt, but it isn't after all. Despite the warm greetings and the big hugs, he is no more than a stranger.

Travellers are passerbys, that move around to seek out the things they've lost. And the first of all, is the home they left behind.

Thursday

Beach

I've always wanted to stay near the beach. Listening to the crowd, watching them as they come and go. Sinking my finger tips in the sand, sounding my thoughts for that one moment, before the waves wash them to the sea.

'Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.' -Robert Henri

And yes. We think, why can't we fly like the birds roaming free above the ocean?
And we think, life can't be better than strolling along the beach with the one you loved.
We also think, difficult times in life is just like waves that hit the sand during high tides, but will eventually fade off when the tides ebb.

We think, we imagine, and then we lay hope. Forgetting that there are work piling up on your office desk, leaving behind the memory of being shouted by your teacher for not finishing her homework in front of your classmates, as well as ignoring the sound of your nagging partner who wants to go somewhere else.

This is where I've once been. This is where I wanted to be now. And this is where I'll be.

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