The River - Valerie Bloom

The river’s a wanderer, a nomad, a tramp.
He doesn't choose any one place to set up his camp.

The river’s a winder, through valley and hill.
He twists and he turns, he just cannot be still.

The river’s a hoarder and he buries down deep
Those little treasures that he wants to keep.

The river’s a baby, he gurgles and hums
And sounds like he’s happily sucking his thumbs.

The river’s a singer, as he dances along
The countryside echoes the notes of his song.

The river’s a monster, hungry and vexed
He’s gobbled up trees and he’ll swallow you next.

CPS Review:

The poem personified the river as a living object, which has attitudes and wants. The poem also shows the river as a thing with two nature, good and evil, just like humans. Human can be good and sweet sometimes, but other times, human can be evil and vexed. Thus that is a balance of natural order, as each complete things has both sides, coins have head and tails, life has yin and yang and earth has days and nights. The same with human, if in good nature, can be sweet and polite, but if vexed, can be evil and mean. This understanding is the referred back to the poem, as the river is personified to be as what it choses to be. Human do not have the capacity to control the river. It is up to it whether the river wants to be a baby or be a monster.

I wonder - by Jeanne Kirby

I Wonder
by Jeannie Kirby

I wonder why the grass is green,
And why the wind is never seen
Who taught the birds to build a nest,
And told the trees to take a rest?
And when the moon is not quite round,
Where can the missing bit be found?
Who lights the stars, when they blow out,
And makes the lightning flash about?
Who paints the rainbow in the sky,
And hangs the fluffy clouds so high?
Why is it now, do you suppose,
That Dad won’t tell me if he knows?

CPS review:

the poem use of questions instills the feeling of reflective. the persona question the world order, who, what and why does "things" happens. the things that happened in the poem were majestic and miracles, that cannot be done or comprehended by human.

the last two line have a connotation to religious, in particular, Christianity, as God in Christianity was symbolised as the father. and thus, the meaning of the poem was that humans are young, powerless and cannot understand the whole world. the poem also suggested that human will eventually learn, but God do not give the whole knowledge, unless human seek it. the knowledge seek was the true knowledge, the understanding of the all powerful God and the capacity of human understanding. the point to be discuss here was that whether the human have the capacity to understand the whole concept of "true knowledge"?

but, if the poem were read through the eye of an innocent child, the line may means the father of the child, as child usually will ask anything from the parents. all the questions will then referred as the child's observations of the world. the inquisitive feelings that child have plus the naivety of understanding how the world move.

both interpretation above suggested knowledge gained through asking, human@child will not gain the whole knowledge, but will eventually learn bit by bit. it also stressed on the need of a guider@teacher@father to guide the human@child.

Salam Eidulfitri to all the readers of this blog. I hope you all have a happy and blissful Ramadan. The Ramadan that has just passed is really an eye opener to me. This is because this year Ramadan, I have the chance to fast with my family for the full 29days. Also, this is the first Ramadan I celebrated as a teacher. There are a lot of moments and experiences that taught me to mature and to rise to a new height in my understanding of this world.

I would like to take this chance to express my sincerest apologies to all the readers of this blog.

Salam Eidulfitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin

What I’ve learnt today

It’s been a hot and tiring day. Last nyte I didn’t get enough sleep as I arrived home from JB at 2 in the morning. Then I managed to wink 40times before I woke up for Sahur. after a quick fix of Sahur, I tried to sleep again, even have the plan to take CRK for the first time today, but to no avail, thanx to toyon! By 6.30, I woke up and take my bath.

My first thought of the day was I want to wear black today! Thus black shirt, pants, tie and socks! Why? Coz I felt at ease in black. Feel more confident and exuberant. That’s what black colour does to me. some people saw red, some people saw yellow, but i saw black.

In my car, otw to school, I purposely step on d gas, and purposely maneuvered my car dangerously – but not recklessly- with a lot of instant braking, and stepping on d gas quickly again. Kept on shifting my BMW auto transmission between D n 2..just to hear the revving sound and the instant boost. I Manage to achieve my target, that is to overflow my bloodstream with the needed adrenaline, thus keeping me awake for double doses of EST class. 8-9, 9-10. thank god the class is a goody2 one. The 4SA1 n 4 SN, so I didn’t have to put much effort in class control, I even went a bit far in 4 SN, by trying to teach the meaning of Solat Tahajjud and Qiyamullail to a Chinese student..hehe..

By 10 a.m, my adrenaline supply was out, thus I retreated into the staffroom, found a perfect table with low visibility and BAM! Another 40 winks until 12 noon. I have to wake up as I have an English class with 4SAI. So I entered the class until 1 p.m. after class some of the boys stayed back just to share stories and some laughs. I was tired but tried to entertain them. They felt the small talk we have was beneficial to them. We talk until 2.30 and then I rushed to the hostel for my STS (Singkat tapi Sempat 2, special class for form 3), the class should be held from 2.30-4.30, but by 4 p.m, they are all tired. thus, I changed the topic for a QnA session, to discuss problems in English paper and etc.. but somehow I manage to get a boost from somewhere and started counseling the f3 students, to prepped them up for the coming PMR. Some of the girls even cried after the session. Huhu..

So that’s all..these are what I’ve learnt today!

p/s; don’t sleep late on Sunday nights, the effect will be doubled on Monday, lack of sleep and Monday blues..huhu..

New literature List for F1 n f4 next year..confirmed

English Literature Component Form 1 to 3 Poems:

• I Wonder by Jeannie Kirby
• The River by Valerie Bloom
• Mr. Nobody
• Heir Conditioning by M. SHANmughaligam
• A Fighter’s Lines by Marzuki Ali
• Leisure by William Henry Davies

Short Stories:
• Flipping Fantastic by Jane Langford
• One Is One and All Alone by Nicholas Fisk

Drama:
• Rumpelstiltskin


English Literature Component Form 4 and 5 Poems:

• In The Midst of Hardship by Latiff Mohidin
• He Had Such Quiet Eyes by Bibsy Soenharjo
• Nature by H.D. Carberry
• Are You Still Playing Your Flute by Zurinah Hassan

Short Stories:
• QWERTYUIOP by Vi...vien Alcock
• The Fruitcake Special by Frank Brennan

Drama:
• Gulp and Gasp by John Townsend

for those who want the easy, way, you can get the book from Cerdik Publication in bookstore near you..

a teacher sonnet,,

for all teachers out there..