The Fault in Our Stars

Your Eyes...

Your crystal blue eyes,

Are like the bright stars on a dark and chilly night,

So bright, so dazzling.

Like the marble that children play with at school,

Like the diamond that shines on the flawless skin of a princess.

Like the scorching flames of an eruptive volcano,

Like the calming waters of a morning sea,

Pure and attractive.

Like the valuable china treasured by everyone,

Like the gleaming jade on a desirable bracelet.

Fragile, delicate yet splendid.

To Mom,

Mom,
A word of love and attachment.

A kind, compassionate, and caring individual.

A selfless woman, who places her family’s needs before anything. 

1998, April.

Mom gazed at her baby. An angel in her eyes. 

She hugged her closely. 

It was the best present she had ever received.

She vowed to care for her, the apple of her eye, in every way possible.

2004, September.

The little girl started her first day of school.

Helping her put on uniforms, brushing her hair, reminding her to be respectful to teachers.

Mom stood looking at the girl taking unsteady yet exciting steps towards the school.

Mom was worried, but also very very proud and happy.

2014, April.

The little girls has grown up. 

She has turned sixteen. 

Mom comforts her when she encounters failure, encouraging her to never give up.

Mom lets her choose what she wants to do, 

Mom cares not  only about grades,

Mom wants the girl to pursue her dream with bravery, confidence, and happiness.

Because Mom knows,

“the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

2014, May

The girl hugged Mom and whispered in her ears,

“Happy Mother’s Day”

A bring smile was on Mom’s face.

Rest in Peace, My Friend (Obituary of London Times)

Rest in Peace  

In memorial of my best friend, Ben       

           

 Photo Credits Click Here

           

          Ben and I have been close friends for as long as I can remember. We grew up at a time when deviations roamed our land. Some of the mutations that dotted our landscape in the old days were so appalling and strange that young people today would never have believed their existence. Purple corns, green wheat, and cows with pink patches occupied almost all open space. Our grandparents, upon knowing that a human race with various kinds of deviations would only hinder the society’s development, put in some efforts to try to create a pure human race. What they had done I cannot say, but it was evident that whatever that they had put into action had not been effective. Creatures that looked like humans but with frightfully long arms, or hideous-looking legs still walked on Earth.

            As mischievous and curious children, we often explored the wilderness, even though we were often told by adults to keep away from the Wild. Ben and I spent much of our childhood time fishing and hunting. We had encountered quite a few animals with deviations in the bushes, but all of them were tiny and harmless, so we were never on our guard while we were playing in the Wild. Many summer days of adventure and excitement passed by peacefully, until one afternoon when Ben and I, for the first time, came face-to-face with a humongous and dreadful animal. It was the most horrid-looking animal I had ever seen, one of those ferocious beasts that frequently appeared in my nightmares. The creature had eyes of a wild cat, and it seemed to have starved for as long as it could remember. Its hunger for flesh, thirst for blood, and desire for violence and cruelty were seen through its pair of vicious eyes. The awful creature was as big as a lion, its nightmarish blue pelt glistening in the sunlight. Its claws were like the talons of hawks, but were all so distorted that some would not have believed that they were claws. When I first saw the creature, my first instinct had been to run away. But Ben, always been the more courageous one, suggested that we would fight. It turned out that we were indeed not strong enough for such a tough creature. While we were scrambling away for our lives, Ben got bitten on the right leg. Because the monster had poisons in its teeth, Ben’s right leg was forever paralyzed.

            That incident has always been one of my worst nightmares. However, to Ben, that accident was enlightenment. His useless right leg did not extinguish his hope for life; the incident provoked a greater desire in Ben to help those who were like him--the countless innocent citizens who suffered because of terrible deviations haunting their land. He started to seek opportunities from church. With intelligence and hard work, Ben soon began his career as a preacher.  He interpreted the Bible and the Repentances for others with clarity and passion. Instead of reciting everything out loud in a monotonous tone, Ben moved everyone with his confidence and dedication. He educated people about the true image, and created many Purity laws. He was also a great model for everyone in his town. Many of those who had doubted his faith in the past were astonished and speechless when Ben killed his own son after discovering that the newborn baby had six fingers on each hand. Ben told me later on, “People think that I don’t care about my baby, but they are wrong. When I kill my son with my own hands, it really hurts. It’s like stabbing my heart with a knife; blood drips everywhere. But what else is to be done? If we were to fight the devils, we need strong hearts. Hearts made of steel.”  In spite of sufferings that he had been through, Ben still firmly believed that in order to fight Tribulation and the Devil, we would need to be willing to sacrifice for a greater good, and to work consistently with a purpose in mind in spite of obstacles and challenges. He encouraged people to stay strong because only with powerful hearts and perseverance were us as a human race able to suppress the evil forces of deviations.

            I already missed his friendship, but I also understood that after 88 years of noble service to his people, it was time for him to rest in peace. Ben was never proud or vain. Everything he did was not for him, but for the well being of the entire community. His death was like a bolt of lightning that struck my heart and paralyzed me with grief and sorrow, but my loss was nothing at all compared to the loss of our community. Innumerable people have, since the moment that they were born, depended on Ben for guidance. Ben, my good old friend, is the dim light that led us during times of eternal darkness, away from Tribulation, and towards a brighter future.

A Found Poem from John Wyndham's Chrysalids

Inconceivable Terrain

Found poem by Jeffrey, Rzan, Sara, and Winny~ :）

Dreaming about a wonderful place,

Seeing a bit of a city,

Clustered on the curve of a big blue bay.

Strings of glow-worms along the shore,

Shiny fish-shaped things in the sky,

Sparks on the water.

Carts with no horses to pull them,

The streets, the buildings, the boats that lined the wonderful world as it had been before God sent Tribulation.

The world once upon a time,

Was beautiful,

Fascinating,

Lovely,

Yet strange.

The river,

The sky,

The hills connect.

The rain,

Swishing down at a fine speed towards the distant hills.

The top twigs land in a pile of soft sand.

The branches part,

The unusual scrambles to the top of the bank,

Leaving the security of the bushes,

Uncertain, serious, anxious.

Beset with incomprehensible misadventure,
The odd gripping tightly, breathing hard, crying, looking fearfully through the tears.

reference: from page 5-8

A poetic response from the perspective of Friar Lawrence

The Power of Love

(a poetic response to Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet in the perspective of Friar Lawrence)

I was frightened, my body shivering and my frenzied mind anticipating the ominous arrival of unfortunate news. 

The letter of utmost importance failed to find its master,

and had now returned to me, 

signaling destruction and death. 

In spite of my fear and dread,

I ventured

into the sphere of eternal darkness.

Where I discovered,

murder, misfortune, and tragedy.

All was blood-stained.

Romeo and Paris lay motionlessly, 

their faces were overshadowed by pain and regret.

I was crushed under the burden of sadness, crying out silent despair.

I was overwhelmed

with such fierce hate.

Yet I was empowered,

with true love, 

which was burning brightly like a torch inside Romeo.

Juliet,

My fair daughter.

Without hesitation, welcomed sacrifice fearlessly.

All she thought about was Romeo,

and all she wanted to do was to be with Romeo.

Now facing the citizens of Verona,

I must confess. I must reveal the truth.

Romeo and Juliet,

through their courage and faith,

portrayed a tragic yet powerful love.

Photo Credits: Here

My Faithful Love (from Romeo's perspective)

My Faithful Love

Oh Juliet,

The moment I saw you, the clock stopped clicking.

A second felt like eternity, yet eternity was so short-lived.

You are an angel, a messenger from heaven.

You descend from the sky, and you out-shine everything in sight with your beauty and glory.

Oh Juliet,

You are also the sun.

You captivate my heart with your glamour.

You warm my soul with your tenderness. 

Rosaline, in comparison to you,

is like a crow, 

while you are the snowy and charming dove.

My eyes had betrayed me before,

but are now enabling me to pursue after my love, which is you,

my dear Juliet.

My heart shatters into a thousand pieces when I am told that you are a Capulet.

Why?? Why!! 

Why is that the woman I love with my heart and with my soul has to be my enemy?

I am paralyzed,

And I am dumbfounded.

I would never be Romeo if it is the only way to be with you.

Here am I,

standing beneath your balcony

adoring you and anticipating to be with you.

Our love has diminished any distance that exists between us,

yet our family feud is a barrier,

that will never be destroyed and will forever remain in place.

Juliet,

I will marry you.

I will overcome any obstacle to be with you.

I promise.

Juliet,

I love you.