Fain

The thought jingles; I shall be a wimp no more.
I would fain, put off the quiver
and however slight, at the
crushing weights- where
waves rush outwards, each
clang a tussle with my chin; they will titillate
the tissues, living and bursting. My,

Imagination runs wild; of the well-crafted
frame; of the chisseled breasts; and
nipples in nature's array. O,

Ripping with muscles, from scant
flesh wrapped around bones- God's
better man and Spencer's axiom; fitter
to row in mud, then garner the ovation
of men and boys alike; women shall ovulate
at the scent of my figment. But,

I cannot make love now. For love handles
are untackled, my obstacles are gloriously
ungrateful. The manhandle below needs
not the man-handled on sides, fain-
put off not what I account tedious
training. How,

That fiery image calls to me- the
epitome without the dome
on the front; He shames me
for I stand still, far away-
scant flesh and love
handles; who loves the
sport but cannot fix
the match.


cuRRent..jer  ¶ 12:11 am

  6am

The thud thud on the track.
Home, here I come. The
silence is sacrificed, by
the morning bus, the thud
thud of joggers thud thud-
-ding into the dawn.

The morning osmosis- I
go; they come;
thud thuds on concrete,

sudden noise; the sudden
vitality- the night was
young before. Were
they who thud thuds
just borned an hour ago?


cuRRent...jer  ¶ 1:33 pm

  Condom

Show me your poniard, I want
To see it plunge into me- shall
Devour my heart of lamb; the
surfeit of our (raw) behaviour.

Stage the naked moment-
The accidental fame, concinnity of
Deed. Nothing is spontaneous as it
seems; burden thee and all.

Show me the rubber, if
That should please the world- a
Date with bananas, unriped or not;
should always come prepared.


cuRRent...jer  ¶ 11:07 pm

  Haze

The dust plummeting-
Tears in the farmer; reader.
The rain falls; is sour.


cuRRent...jer  ¶ 12:38 am

  Didactic

Published on the STI, 19 Oct 2006, my article yours faithfully. Although I have avowed myself, as apolitical as a table lamp, George makes me hard with anger.

A movie needn't be vehicle for morality. Just enjoy art and learn from it too

I refer to the online forum letter "All the movies are about sex and violence. Time for censors to act" in which the writer deprecates films that ostensibly fail from a moral standpoint. It calls for the censors to expurgate them from our society.

The value of films does not necessarily serve some moral or didactic purpose and as an art form, it should be as valuable as art in its pursuit.

That said, films should not be considered morally subversive either, even when they contain such elements in the story-telling process. In fact, they reflect our human condition, our society and culture, our personal beliefs, and they may be realistic and accurate. After all, the world we live in is not a bed of roses and all forms of art reflect this point to some degree.

One only needs to remember Shakespeare's King Lear where the tragic ending had been refashioned to suit the Restoration stage. This version by Nahum Tate has been criticised by modern critics for compromising the theme of tragedy. Although good eventually triumphs, there is a lack of poetic justice in the face of all the bloodshed and acrimony with Cordelia's demise.

Tragedy occurs everyday, sometimes through "the surfeit of our own behaviour", sometimes the "disasters of the sun, the moon and the stars." In the same way, are we too afraid of this kind of reality that we have to blot truth like this from our audience?

The writer also expresses the view that morality is absolute, but perhaps this is a fallacious ideal. Art forces us to rethink our own perspectives.

Contrary to the writer's suggestion that it will lead to society's decadence, it will instead help us to understand humanity better.

Ultimately, a person creates a famine for himself if he persists in imposing his standards on others, especially when it comes to appreciation of the arts.

Jeremy Chua Jiakai (http://straitstimes.asiaone.com/portal/site/STI/menuitem.c2aef3d65baca16abb31f610a06310a0/?vgnextoid=f832758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD&vgnextfmt=vgnartid:96e5a16aec95e010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD:STForumArcIOID:6670b0cdfba5e010VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD:STForumArcDate:1161295140000)

Versus, the bigot of our century...

All the movies are about sex and violence. Time for censors to act

The Straits Times Interactive
October 17, 2006

I turned to the cinema pages of the Life! Section in the Straits Times last Saturday and noted the sort of movies being shown in town.

The main themes focussed on violence, crime, death and sex. Here are some of the movies:

. The Black Dahlia - about Hollywood's most infamous sex murders;

. Dead man's shoes - about revenge;

. Silk - about spirits;

. Death Note - about death;

. The Departed - a crime drama;

. Wet hot sake - about sex, sleaze and sensuality;

. My Summer of Love - more sex and sleaze.

The other movies are about inconsequential events. These are time-wasters and sad to watch:

. Talladega Nights - about brainless and crazy people with fast cars;

. World Trade Centre - a disaster;

. Rob -B-Hood - no theme.

These movies do not provide any wholesome and meaningful lessons in life. The more a person watches them, the more he would be made to feel that life is hopeless and meaningless.

Movie directors are happily ripping off the public by giving us worthless movies that harm us. It is useless to bar only children and those below 18 from watching these movies as the tasteless pictures in the media continue to defile good sense and morals.

Where are our educators? Why are they silent on this sad state of affairs? What does our conscience tell us about such movies being screened in public? Do we have a conscience at all?

One may argue that we have a choice not to watch these shows. But if it Hobson's choice everyday with such low quality movies, where is the freedom for one to choose a wholesome and good movie when none is available?

What about the public's right to see good movies? And why do we create for ourselves a famine of morally enriching shows?

A movie that is worthwhile watching would give hope to the viewer about the meaning of life and its purpose.

A good movie should result in stirring a person's mind and heart to do good for society. It should focus on wholesome family values of love and care, and respect for the elders and the government.

How should we rate a movie for its value? We should not give ratings to reflect its popularity based on violence, crime and sex, but instead focus on good values such as kindness, gentleness, love, peace, goodness, faithfulness, self-control and joy.

Unfortunately, none of these good values can be found in the movies mentioned above.

Movies that espouse the desirable values are rare. These are 'Chariots of Fire' and 'Akeelah and the Bee'. I particularly enjoy watching Jack Neo's portrayal of our primary school system in 'I not stupid'.

Yet if it remains only a portrayal of our country's meritocratic education system, it alone would not be able to help us make further progress.

It is not enough just to point out society's ills. The movie's director should have concluded the show with lessons on corrective measures for the public.

I would like the Board of Film Censors to critically review and evaluate the quality of the movies currently being screened in public.

The guiding principle of the authority should always be driven by good and responsible values that promote hope, compassion and love.

And it should not be influenced by the public's lust for sex, violence and death that leads to a sense of hopelessness for the viewer.

George Lim Heng Chye

And his quondam endeavours involve...

Govt should rethink hiring of gays

The Straits Times
15 July 2003

I am a heterosexual man, married to a heterosexual woman and we have four heterosexual children. We believe that the right upbringing by parents will prevent improper and deviant future behaviours.

We also believe in a God who loves both the heterosexual and the gay, but He hates the sin of immorality.

So now you know where I would stand on the issue of the Government hiring gays for even sensitive jobs ('Govt more open to employing gays now'; ST, July 4). Or is there no more right or wrong regarding the hiring of gays to help govern the country?

The saying 'Love the sinner, hate the sin' is my guiding principle. I accept a criminal, a gay, a gangster or a hooligan, but I reject his behaviour. Why? Because as human beings we have a conscience to distinguish between what is good and what is bad.

There is no greyness between white and black. White is white, and black is black. There is no relativity in morality. Morality is absolute. Yet the guiding principle is love.

So is it morally right to hire gays for key government positions? It would take a perfect government not to hire them as pressure mounts over the years to accept gays in practically any job.

Our society, including religious groups, has been bending backwards towards tolerance of immoral behaviour. A government that does not appease the wishes of its people may not last long. On the other hand, many people still expect our Government to take sound and responsible action to protect young citizens from the corrupting influence of immoral behaviour.

I am concerned about the consequences of the Government's action. Firstly, the Government has shown quite clearly by its action that it has lost its moral authority.

Then there are other repercussions: gay leaders will one day advocate gay marriages and, as if to complete the cycle, they will promote the adoption of orphaned children by married gay couples.

I am concerned for our next generation of children. Will they be able to tell right from wrong? By accepting what the Government is doing now, we are not helping our children to see the corrupting and subtle influences of such a lifestyle.

I disagree with the Government that people are born that way and hence helpless to change. Gays are never born that way. The law of nature has been that you are either born a male or a female, hence the proper behaviour follows.

However, because of negative influences in their lives, homosexualism and lesbianism set in and took control of the person's mind, soul and body.

Most gays are reported to have had a history of being sexually abused when they were children. Others mentioned that they had grown up in homes without a father or father figure and subsequently rejected their own sexual identities. Still others admitted that their attraction to the same sex started when they allowed themselves to be addicted to pornography.

Yet the person himself still has a choice as to whether to accept or reject this immoral behaviour. Some people may be comfortable with the change in views, but I am not and will continue to educate my children in the right way.

I am surprised that leaders of religions like Islam and Christianity have not voiced their disagreement openly. These two religions have very strong views about the right behaviours where human sexuality is concerned.

Religions play an important role in society and it is most ironical and sad that religious leaders are refraining from making their stand known publicly in matters of sexual morality.

I would like to appeal to the Government to reverse its decision to hire gays for key jobs. History has shown time and again that great empires fell because of failing human values and shaky moral principles. Does the phrase 'the chain is as strong as the weakest link' sound familiar?

We know that yeast causes dough to rise, so in the recent Sars outbreak its containment depended on not leaving even one virus at large to infect people.

Likewise, the majority of the public should make known its disapproval of hiring gays for key government jobs. This seemingly harmless action today will not bode well for our children tomorrow.

George Lim Heng Chye

Take your side of the fence now.  ¶ 11:39 pm

  Checklist

Just taking stock of my playwrighting exploits:

1. Deipnosophist

Justin and Anton, two precocious junior college boys are divided by the unkind forces of elitism. Will a brokeback encounter over the dining table heal the social breach and bring romance to them? Or will it threaten to sequester them further? Indeed "love is like oxygen", but will it be enough to feed the "fires of our reality"?

Status: Completed
Accolades: Singapore Youth Dramatist Award 2006 (3rd placing, Cat B)

2. Nature's Carnival

When the human condition is stripped away, the only thing that remains is the spectacular, animalistic roar ripping through the ossified world of morals, principles and cages- built to the chagrin of nature. A sensually-charged play helmed by an amoral roue, the consequences become terrifying only when a fatal virus takes hold of nihilism.

Status: In Progress

3. Durian King

Absurdism invades the Teck Durian Empire at Teck's expiring moments. Meet Shakespeare's fool as he prances around the Sarong Party Women of Teck's household and negotiate the difficult (and incestuous) relationships that run rabid in the family. More than the family fortunes are at stake here as the fragile family ties of Teck's household continue to loosen and tear apart.

Status: Completed; To be developed into a full-length play.

4. Fourplay

A poet, a feminist, a fitness freak and a mugger move out of society to establish their own civillisation deep in the tropical forests of Pulau Ubin. Politics become aggresive as friendship, love and communication breaks down to the regulations they have imposed on themselves, designed by the insecurities of the dynastic dystopia they have been brought up in. Will they create another dystopia for themselves now that they have a new chance at life or will events culminate the same way as before?

Status: In Progress

5. A Play With Music

A Play With Music is a play with music, sung by only a single character who thinks he is playing a part in a musical- while the other people merely speak their mind, he sings his. But music keeps ringing in his head that he often finds himself standing at the edge of the possibility where he will shoot himself in the head one day- if music doesn't shut the hell up.

Status: Work to start soon

6. Never the Winner

The courtroom drama will bring to the stand, underacheiver Denver Lee, where he will be cross-examined by the persecution on charges of being the Loser Of The Century. See him put up a futile defence.

Status: Work to start soon


cuRRent...jer
  ¶ 11:04 pm

  Shackled (Part 2)
The Person from Porlock

One song glory, sang
the Person from Porlock,
striding into view.

------------------>Let me
tell you my suspicions, oh
my shackled beast:

This Person from Porlock is
come from Kubla Khan's embrace;
their nipples licked wild, by
the mutual tongue, cold
concrete.

Shall I bring him to my
dungeon, chained to your
paws?


cuRRent...jer

  ¶ 7:44 pm

  Shackled (Part 1)
The Beast, The Candle and My Dungeon

Do not breathe too deep, my shackled
beast. You are rattling at your cage, in
my dungeon dark and slick. For if light
were cast, even the tiniest ray
could ignite your fiery
mane. But to no avail, the
midnight sun founders- your heart
sparkle gold, paralysed by
my dungeon chains. Rustle
and the wind clanging against metal; clanging
metal against flesh; I can
hear your desperate
respiration, cast on the
squalid floor.

Now, my shackled beast. I cannot
unchain my dark adversary. The charity
of my heart can only be,
an etiolated flower to feed
your fire. There is no light for
my candle now- but fourty
days and fourty nights more
just you wait- before you burn in
the conflagration,
your glory restored.

Do not breathe too deep
into the night, my
tenant shackled.


cuRRent...jer  ¶ 6:53 pm

  Astigmatic (Part 1)

they enforrce theirr merrits, slighted.
become blurrry- two and thrree, fourr
and morre. distance is the wiser,
harder to discern. the further, the
furrier they look; like the rabid
gesticulations of a hornet's wings
accost,

my eyes die. like a shrivelled worm,
against much counsel that the years
have assembled. but, perhaps
i will see a lot better in time-
when i turn away from the outfit
of your clumsy frame.

take my spectacles
and throw them away, away.

cuRRent...jer  ¶ 1:58 am

  Prognosis

the cogent osculation
the compliant blowjobs
the cragged voice
the careless thrusts
the clutching hands
the con brio exchanges
the celebratory masturbation
the caged penis unleashed
the concatenation of actions
the cum-filled orifices
the convenience of morals
the contours heaped on each other

is never enough the aperient; he
who is man can never be cured.


cuRRent...jer  ¶ 8:28 pm