The Memoirs of The Bench

In Memory Of ...

2009-03-04T23:04:00.001+08:00

The Ant Explorer
by C Michael James Dennis

Once a little sugar ant made up his mind to roam
To fare away far away, far away from home.
He had eaten all his breakfast, and he had his ma's consent
To see what he should chance to see and here's the way he went

Up and down a fern frond, round and round a stone,
Down a gloomy gully where he loathed to be alone,
Up a mighty mountain range, seven inches high,
Through the fearful forest grass that nearly hid the sky,

Out along a bracken bridge, bending in the moss,
Till he reached a dreadful desert that was feet and feet across.
'Twas a dry, deserted desert, and a trackless land to tread,
He wished that he was home again and tucked-up tight in bed.

His little legs were wobbly, his strength was nearly spent,
And so he turned around again and here's the way he went
Back away from desert lands feet and feet across,
Back along the bracken bridge bending in the moss,

Through the fearful forest grass shutting out the sky,
Up a mighty mountain range seven inches high,
Down a gloomy gully, where he loathed to be alone,
Up and down a fern frond and round and round a stone.

A dreary ant, a weary ant, resolved no more to roam,
He staggered up the garden path and popped back home.

One of my favourite poems which I first chanced upon during Voice Production class in NIE, where we had to dramatise a poem as a group. Great fun then!

This talks about an ant's journey, much like what life is...where we leave the safe havens and plunge into something totally new, totally wild, just to satisfy that wanderlust in us. Perhaps there's more to it? Perhaps.

I used to dramatise with my class, read it in class. Thereafter, made the kids make a little map explicitly showing the route that the ant took, and made ant models too (One clean ant for when it started its journey, another dirty one on the flip side of the ant for when it resolved no more to roam.) As their group dramatised the poem, ther other member was to take the ant for a walk along the path that they had drawn.

Amazing what some groups could do, the pictures just displayed so much colour and imagination. More often than not...just with a brief explanation and some photographs to mark out the locations that the ant took...the class took over with their creativity and drew like never before! Others just dramatised the poem so well, marching up the mighty mountain range, seven inches high and so on and so forth. Somewhat like a little Hi5 show.

Each group was unique in what they presented, some with much zeal and vigour...others were shy and reserved. But...they did it, they lived out the journey that the sugar ant took and after which, had to write a short write-up on how the ant felt before taking the trip and after taking the trip.A little experiential learning class...everyone laughed, some sulked, immaculately and beautifully drawn pictures, others plain. It didn't matter, what mattered was that the sugar ant got to live in them for that little while.

Fly, imagination...soar to the sky.

I miss that, miss my classes today...very much. In memory of the classes which I took, thank you for being a part of Mr Lee's life. It's certainly been heartfelt and you (all of you) will hold a special place in my heart.

Their story

2008-03-20T21:02:00.005+08:00

Tearfully as he sang,
"When God made you"
he watched her
walking down the aisle.

She walked gracefully
like a practised ballerina
on her toes
gliding.

Stepping into the hall,
only as she walked closer
that she realised
it was him singing.

When she first heard it,
she thought how sweet.
Playing our song,
CD.

Blinking back her tears,
she fought hard.
Smiling she mastered,
focusing on him singing.

How blessed he felt,
how loved he was,
despite his past,
there he stood singing.

Choking back tears,
forgetting lines,
though was once perfect,
lost between sobs.

Gazing into her eyes,
all he could master
was embracing her tight,
and let out another sob.

They recounted
with much bliss.
The bench settled in
shrouded with love.

~ Unconditional Love ~

2007-09-26T00:18:00.000+08:00

The bench watched as three friends walked towards it to sit down to rest their tired feet. The two ladies chatted animatedly as the guy got busy with his handphone. It all started out as mere remarks but it became a bad scene. Angry words exchanged, the guy walked away. Two ladies stared at each other, wondering what had just happened...

Many days passed... the bench never saw them again. It wondered if the situation was ever resolved. A lady walked up to the bench and sat there staring at the river front. She sighed as she looked at her handphone... as if it was a diseased thing. The bench remembered her as the lady who spoke the most to the angry guy. She sighed another heavy breath and started to talk to the bench. "You remember me?" asked the lady. "Yes, it was you who had a row with that friend of yours." said the bench. The bench wished it could give her a hug as she looked quite lost and bewildered. They spoke a long while and the bench understood that it had not been an easy friendship for her.

As she spoke, her heart spoke louder. She talked about how she long for her friend to understand that she had no intention of making things difficult for him. All she ever wanted to do was to be a supportive friend. Somehow each time, she would say or do the 'wrong' thing, it made him very mad with her. She felt so tired and speechless each time. She wondered why God kept telling her to hold on to this friendship. She questioned the point of staying put where she is.

After her sharing, the lady looked up and saw a beautiful scene. It was amazing! The clouds hid the sun and rays just shone outwards. In her heart, she heard God saying, "I have loved you for a long time with an unconditional love. I know you can understand how it feels like to be loved unconditionally. Whatever you had done, I have forgiven you. I still love you no matter what you will do in the future. Go and do the same for your brother..."

In the months to come, the lady came back a few times to share with the bench about many positive changes in their friendship. The trio would celebrate their birthdays each year and this year, it was important as one of the ladies was about to get married. The bench was a witness to their future wishes and dreams. All of them wrote into a piece of paper and the lady who loved unconditionally folded all the slips carefully. She promised them that these dreams will be kept in special boxes. They promised to open the boxes after 5 years.

Everything seemed so perfect, the bench thought. Their friendships have grown mature and all of them have mellowed much in the past years. Yet, if there is a scale to calculate how much each person has put into the friendships, it would be unfair to one or the other. Somehow someone always gave a little more... The bench turned to the heavens and asked God, "Who is most unconditional?". God smiled and looked at the leaves of the tree that stood beside the bench. "Have you ever counted these leaves?" asked God. The bench looked up at the tree and said, "I've lost count how many leaves have come forth and were blown away?".

God nodded and said, "You are right, if we should keep count of the leaves that have grown and fallen of this tree, we would miss seeing its growth and glory." "You see, it is by looking at this tree as a whole that we truly appreciate the beauty of the tree in becoming what it was meant to be." "When it was a young sapling, everyone would look at its weak stem and say that this young one would not survive the harsh winter." God chuckled as He remembered how the young tree surivived the first winter.

"Look at it now... the tree has gone through many seasons. It understood the ways to survive." "Just look at the trees around it..." God pointed out the two other trees that were just next to this tree. The bench suddenly noticed they were connected by their deep roots and sturdy trunks. It seemed like each tree had survived because of the other trees. Without their support, they would have been badly hurt by many elements, both seen and unseen. "Over the past 4 years, I have seen their pains and struggles but I have also given them each other to bear them." With that thought, God left the bench to ponder about the things that He has shared with it.

The bench looked at the trio who sat down to share a lovely meal and it looked at the trees that were swaying with the wind. It kind of understood what God meant. Friendships are given to us unconditionally. No one is forced to be friends. We choose to remain as friends for life. In true friendships, you will see unconditional love demonstrated over and over again. If you truly love your brother and sister, then you can truly understand the love of a Creator for His creation.

Right here

2006-04-24T21:49:00.000+08:00

Looking out into the horizon,
Sitting on that same old bench.
Together, side by side,
Nary a word, just looking.

Though no words were being said, the bench knew that the two of them were thinking the same thoughts. Recollecting the past, the moments in life that was caught in freeze frames. The good times, the bad... The times of laughter, the times of tears, the walks they had together, the drives they had together, the times they sat together just chatting and testing.

Just like good old friends.

Being able to continue the sentence of each other, without much of a prompting. Flipping the album of memories, shared over the bench. The bench had seen how this friendship had blossomed, how it had grew strength to strength. Weathering even the harshest of circumstances.

Though he had disappeared for a couple of months, leaving her at the bench waiting, alone. She had quite a bit of get used to, looking to the side where he used to sit but just seeing the empty space. Looking on to other benches, but seeing couples and friends occupying the bench. Smiling and laughing, she relived those good old days when they were there.

Seasons changed, it was autumn. Leaves were a falling, the area a washed with leaves: different shades of yellow and red. There she was, still...waiting for her friend to return.

Winter, spring had passed. Soon summer came. She took a stroll into the park again, sitting at the bench where she always did. Rubbing her eyes to make sure that they were seeing right, right there...sat her friend. He was back! With quickened and light steps, she reached the bench. Taking a seat beside him, looking out into the horizon where he was looking. Sharing the same view that they had taken all this while. Picking up where they had left off. Right there.

All Work No Play?

2005-10-09T01:03:00.000+08:00

It's all a game to her...

With her Armani suit.

There she is heading...

One more goal!

Working ever so hard!

One more chance...

And she will be there.

Sitting on the bench,

With her soggy sandwich.

There she is thinking,

One more chew...

Munching ever so quietly.

One more bite,

And she will be done.

The game is over now...

No more Armani suits.

Where is she heading?

What goals can she make?

She worked so hard...

What chances does she have?

She could not get there.

Crying on the bench.

With her soaked hanky

Where she sat thinking

What chewed at her?

Her games munched her up!

What make her lose her bite?

She has not got her justice done.

Bench: What do you cry today?

Lady: It's so unfair!

Bench: Life is unfair...

Lady: I worked so hard...

Bench: Work is a calling!

Lady: I was born to do this!

Bench: Work makes you feel important.

Lady: It makes my self worth!

Bench: Do you know my Creator invented Work?

Lady: Who? What? Why?

Bench: He believes that Work is Creation!

Lady: To work is to create?

Bench: For every piece of His Work, He sees bountless beauty.

Lady: That must be His Labour of Love!

Bench: To Him, Work is never laborious!

Lady: Hmmm... work is never laborious...

Bench: I am His Work of Love.

Lady: He must enjoy His Work.

Bench: Always... my friend... Work should be fun!

Lady: Then I guess I must learn this.

Bench: I guess you must... let Work be an honour, let it be a blessing unto others.

Lady: *sniff sniff* I guess this is all new to me! But I want to try it...

He sounds so happy to work! I want to be happy again! Tell me more about Him!

So they talked and talked about their Friend.

The bench chuckled as it recalled the stories about His Creator.

She smiled a little more as she listened to these stories.

It uplifted her heart and reminded her of some familiar feelings.

She knew that Work will never be the same again.

She knew that she wanted to learn how Work should be...

From the very beginning... where Life first began!

Hello...and yes, Hello.

2005-09-19T00:03:00.000+08:00

Some months past, there came a time when the two ill-fated friends finally managed to meet up. It all started when one decided to go to the park to sit at his favourite bench. Along came the other friend, who too decided that he needed a breath of fresh air and wandered into the park.

It was that instance as the two friends sat at on the opposite ends of the bench, turned their faces and caught sight of each other. Instantly, the two friends got up, gave each other a bear hug for the longest of time.

During that silence, it was as if the strain of time lost while searching for each other was soothed away. The look of their faces just said it all. It didn't matter how long they had taken to find each other. What matters most was that they had found each other again.

In that moment, they turned and nodded at the bench...as if to acknowledge and thank the bench for being there for them, for providing a common spot where they could find each other again.

With their arms on each others' shoulders, they walked off in silence but with the broadest of smiles.

Hello?

2005-09-15T21:03:00.000+08:00

The same park,
The same path,
The same bench,
Two people.

Walking, yet
Seemingly looking out
For something or someone
With a seemingly forlorn glance.

For that familiar silhouette
Of a friend, who might
have slipped him by.
That familiar sight.

Strangely, the two people
just walked on in
different directions, they
in different directions.

Walking past each other,
Seated on the same bench,
at different times,
yet not noticing each other.

The irony of it all.
The same path,
The same bench,
Yet not quite.

This is how this story goes of two friends who parted after seven years and well, the friends just moved on with their lives even though they seemed to want to reach out to each other. Perhaps it's not meant to be, after seven years. To mend the hurts and the heart, so that both can move on with their lives in different directions. Though each knowing that that experience had shaped their lives in some way or another.

The bench saw these two friends, seated at different times of the day. Just chilling and reminiscing of the times that they had together. The fun times, the bad times that they went through together. Remembering how they met at their boss's office for the very first time, and both feeling that it was life's destiny that brought them together as friends.

A different posting called one of them away, just after three weeks from their first meeting. However, that friendship blossomed from then on. Never once did they look back. Though seemingly different in their personalities and life goals, each complemented the friendship and created that space to encourage, to fellowship, to share and to get on in life together through the sharing of the same struggles and pain through life's experiences and to egg each other on along life's challenges.

In a flash, seven years had passed and it was time for the pair to say farewell. It was a difficult time for both, meaning to express their gratitude towards the friendship and what they had gleaned from that. But never quite found a space to do it as there came a wall between them. Each on the side of the wall, though transparent but never could see that either was just across on the other side of it.

The bench could feel it each time as it saw the two of them. Soon, adding two and two, it made up the essence of this story.

The little things

2005-09-02T23:21:00.001+08:00

As the bench sat there, observing
the many things that go on around.
It noticed certain little things that
others might not have noticed.

The sprouting of the flowers in springtime,
red, yellow, blue, yellow...every possible colour.
the little birds which swooped down to the fountain
at certain times during the day, perched...drinking.

The regiment of ants crawling up and down,
searching for a morsel of food.
The little children with the abundance of energy
just running around.

Eyes which were ever so sharp,
laughter so contagious,
excitable over the slightest of things.
Ahh...

Observing these little sights,
conversing that with the bench.
The bench remembered one such
conversation with this little boy.

Boy: Hi there Bench, have you noticed anything about adults?

Bench: Not too much, except that they aren't so observant anymore.

Boy: Yeah. They don't see the little things like those that we see and get so excited over. The little things, I love the little things.

Bench: I noticed that. You are always poking and finding, turning each stone around you. Looking up and down, listening, sitting, watching. Yeah...you are an inquisitive child, my boy.

Boy: My mom says that too. So energetic, she says...she can't keep up with me. Well, I like what I do. Just enjoy the simple things, not the latest toys or TV programme, not the tests or exams.

Bench: Ahh...the charm of the simple things in life. It's just so addictive. Sadly, it has lost its hold on people.

Boy: I think so too. My mom, adults...they just want to walk...and walk and walk and walk without stopping or looking down to the ground. That's where the treasure lies. Don't you think so, so many treasures on the ground. *Winks at the bench*

Bench: *Winks back* Yes, my boy. The treasures of the simple and fine things in life. Nevermind that they have lost that sense of excitement and appreciation, you have not. That makes that difference.

The bench and the boy sat there smiling that quiet smile of theirs and just looked on to find more treasures on the ground.

An Old Friend

2005-08-30T00:12:00.000+08:00

It sat there for a long time. No one seemed to remember it. It felt as if it was ignored and forgotten. It doesn't feel good when you have given your best years and no one seems to remembers you. It was all covered with creepers and dirt accumulated for years. It felt really unwanted... wasted... neglected...

Then she appeared.... She walked slowly as her knees are not what they used to be. She walked towards the bench and as she stood before it, her face broke into a kindly smile. "It's you!" she exclaimed. "I finally came back to see you!" she said as she tried to clear away some of the creepers that have covered the space which was meant for sitting. She sighed contentedly as she sat down on the old bench.

"Do you remember me?" asked the old lady. The bench creaked with delight as it remembered the good old days when she used to come and sit to wait for her dearest friend. "Yes, you were with him, you were most happy!" said the bench. It was a meeting of souls when she first met him. "He was a strange one, wasn't he?" she remembered him with great fondness. "We used to leave notes for each other on the underside of your seat." she recalled as tears rolled down her cheeks. Both sat in silence for a while after that remark. It was as if time stood still for the two old friends and images from the past flooded their minds.

She smiled as she started to pull out the creepers that was all over the back of the bench. "I want to do this for you, my dear old friend." the old lady said with such determination. "I will come back tomorrow with more help." In saying this, she stood up slowly and waved goodbye to the bench who seemed to sparkle after having this chat.

"She remembers me!" the bench thought. It felt good to have someone to care for it. It felt good to have a promise to be visited again. It felt so good to have someone to talk to. The bench couldn't wait for tomorrow to come. It knew that she would honour her promise. It gave a happy sigh as it fell into deep sleep.

The next morning, the bench woke up to some cheery voices. It saw the old lady coming with another younger lady friend carrying two buckets. One bucket was filled with garden tools and cleaning liquids and the other was filled with water. They sang happy songs as they cleared the creepers and the dirt. It was not possible to clean the bench thoroughly as there were too much dirt accumulated over time. But it was feeling much happier with a good scrub.

"There... much much cleaner! That is what I can do for you for your years of friendship!" the old lady said as she sat down to pat the old bench. "This is my sister, Una who has helped me to give you a good wash." she said as she looked towards her sister with such gratefulness.

"I don't know if I would be able to come as often as my knees can take me here but I wanted to see you again. I want to tell you that you have been a great friend. You were there in my happiest moments when I first met him, you were there when he left me to go a faraway place, you were there when I shed tears each time I miss my friend. You have always been there for me. You have been a faithful friend and I will always remember you!"

The bench felt very loved. It did not matter that it took so many years for her to come back. All that matters was she remembered the silent friend whom she confided to for so many evenings in the past.

That birthday song

2005-08-22T10:47:00.000+08:00

As the bench sunned itself that warm morning, a bird perched itself on the back rest of the bench. Thereafter singing this lovely song, which sounds like that:

Happy Birthday, my friend
Here's to all the years we've shared together
All the fun we've had
You're such a blessing
Such a joy in my life
May the good Lord bless you
And may all your dreams come true
So light a candle on your cake
For every smile you've helped create
For every heart and every soul you've helped to grow
A little more
A few more pounds, a little more grey
Don't count the years, just count the way
It takes a little time to go from water into wine
Don't ever lose the wonder of that child within your eyes
Happy Birthday, my friend
Here's to all the years we've shared together
All the fun we've had
You're such a blessing
Such a joy in my life
May the good Lord bless you
And may all your dreams come true

*Adapted from Corrinne May's Safe in A Crazy World album

The bench grew misty-eyed as it heard that lovely rendition of that song.

Bench: Who's the song for? Such a lovely song.

Bird: For a friend whose birthday's today. A friend who has meant so much to me, being such a blessing and joy in my life. A friend who created me to be a blessing to you.

Heartwarming, it must have felt for the bench as it sat back and reflected on the words the the bird had said and upon the lyrics. As this was going on, the bird began to sing the birthday song again.

Hang in there, lil' tomato

2005-08-22T03:16:00.000+08:00

The bench watches intriguingly at a tiny, rotund and greenish-looking fruit, hanging on to a branch just above it.

Bench: Hey there, what are you and what are you doing?

Tomato: Oh hello there, I've noticed you looking at me before. I'm a tomato and I'm hanging on real tight to the branch as I'm still growing. I'll let go when the time is right.

After the next few weeks, the bench looks on...as the tomato grows bigger, and redder and well...it looks as if it was going to burst with all the goodness within it, but still hanging on tight.

Bench: Hey lil' Tomato, why are you still holding on so tight for?

Tomato: Well my dear friend, it's not time to let go yet as I've mentioned before. Time isn't right, when the time is right...I will let go. It's like life, you know. Hanging on until the right time, before we let go...that's the exact and right time to release because that's when the answer is going to be revealed when we let go.

Bench: Wow, what a beautiful analogy of life there! Yes indeed...we have to hang on tight now! Even when it gets so tough.

Weeks past...til one day a pair of hands pluck the tomato. The tomato didn't resist, but just smiled on at the bench and nodding, as if to say, this is the time for me to let go of the branch now. A time to let go...

The bench sits still, pondering...the deep truth behind this and smiles...that's life, worth hanging on tightly but yet...having to release and let go when the time is right. Complexity of life...yet true in every sense of the word.

The Beginning

2005-08-18T23:56:00.000+08:00

An empty bench in the park.
People come... people go...
Animals come...and go...
The bench sits empty.
Forlorn? lovelorn?
Perhaps waiting for the one to come.

Pondering... it sits.
Awaiting for that answer.
Behold, a spark!
Of hope and inspiration.
Dreams? Perhaps...

Of lives of others, it observes...
A keen observer, it is.
Lives of people, hectic and busy.
Time, traffic, rushing, shoving.
It can provide that resting place.
For all who are willing to stop, rest
and recharge...
Smiles emerge from the creases of
the frowns...

Ah... the bench straightens up as best as it can.
To hold that thought... that emotion.
A pair of emotions... it had.
frowning from the strains of Life and
smiling from a realisation that pursuit isn't all that
matters...

a minute seems like a day...
a day draws on like a month...
the bench feels the moments crawling by...
why am i here?
what is my purpose?

in that moment, the bench remembers!
a long long time ago...
a weathered hand planted a seed
it grew into a tree
another hand chopped it down
turning into planks and splinters
it was shaped through blood and sweat
it was made with loving hands

Love... that's the feeling it was had
and was missing dearly.
Ah... as it looked back.
It all came back.
This is the love that it can give back
to the hands that made it.
To offer a resting place for people
To reflect, to catch that breath,
To see the world rush by.
Yes... L O V E