Though Our Trees Are Evergreen

Evergreen

I have gone through every file in my old hard drive but unfortunately I could not find the "Poem of the Mid-Autumn Revolution" which I mentioned in the previous post. I begin to wonder whether I wrote it or not. Or did I just compose the two lines out of thin air and weave them into my memory cells?

Nevertheless, let's move on and savour the present moment.

The landscape above was one of the many pictures I took on Merdeka morning this year at the Penang Botanic Gardens. The chair was wet after the morning shower, and mists could still be seen in the background, muting the sunlight and creating a soft glow in the surrounding greeneries.

Indeed the trees in the tropics are always lush and green throughout the year. The lack of seasonal change can sometimes make the passage of time illusive. One moment we are still young, cherishing the fruits of youth, and the next moment, old age has set into our porous bones.

Though our trees are evergreen
Autumn falls like it's never been
When once vigour flowed through our veins
Now our bones are wrought in pain

With no milestones to mark the seasons
Time passes on in the guise of illusions
The crawl of decades flicked by in seconds
And fields of Elysium constantly beckons

Portrait of a Hidden Path

Portraits are usually representations of a person or any tangible object of interest. But how do you capture a portraiture of something which is not there - like a hidden path in the midst of a thick forest?

The sun has just broken through the storm clouds at the Penang Botanic Gardens, as I walked past the empty orchid house. On the left is a broken bridge which overlooks the valley below. As I peered into the thick undergrowth, the sun rays began to penetrate the crown of the trees above and illuminate a forgotten path lined with unkempt smaller trees and bushes.

This path was laid back in the mid 80's when there was a revamp of the park. I remember walking down the road with a group of friends during our senior high school years to scout for locations for our group portraits. We were all dressed up in long trousers and shoulder padded overcoats in the style of Miami Vice and had fun taking each other's pictures in various poses.

Today, the light that shines on this hidden path, rekindles the happy and carefree days of our youth. It's memories like this that shapes the portrait of a hidden path in our minds.

Looking Back

Looking Back

Childhood memories are like old photographs resting quietly in between the yellowed pages of a photo album; stashed away somewhere in the deep corners of forgetfulness and hidden from sight by our blind yearning for newer and happier memories. And then suddenly, they are awaken from their sleep; projecting themselves onto the canvas of our conscious minds like a repeated screening of an old movie.

Such memories can tease the tears out of our eyes - sometimes tears of joy and at other times, tears of sorrow. And as the memoriam of our childhood play on in our minds, we are cradled in warm embrace and nostalgic ambience.

As I sit under the gazebo, looking at the cluster of giant palms on the slopes of Penang Botanic Gardens, I remember the old family photographs which were taken in front of these majestic trees. It was a family outing with my parents and siblings, and we were all dressed up for the occasion. At that time, colour photography was just beginning to become a rage.

The photographs are still around, though the colours have faded slightly. But the palm trees remain alive, strong and healthy, just like the memories of that day which stay fresh in my mind.

Gone

Gone

Back in the times when the Penang Youth Park was synonymous with roller skating, my parents used to take me and my best friend BC there during the school holidays. Those were carefree days when gliding precariously round a concrete track, wearing metal skates weighing as heavy as our school bags; was one of the most exciting events we look forward to throughout the school year.

But this picture is not about Youth Park, and the story is not about roller skates.

This picture was taken at the Botanic Gardens recently, and the story is about what happened here after one of our holiday skating sessions during that time, long ago.

On that day, my parents gave BC and I a special treat, by taking us to the nearby Botanic Gardens after skating. Both my father and mother sat under the luscious shade of this old tree, watching over us as we walked down the slopes towards the river. Suddenly a group of monkeys appeared and started to chase us. We ran as fast as we could, back up to the tree, and my father had to drive away the attacking monkeys.

It was a memorable event - both scary and exciting at the same time.

But alas, both my parents are long gone now. What remains are the beautiful memories under the comforting shade of this old, and still surviving tree at the top of the slope.