Ozymandias
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a sheltered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away
This is one of those poems that I have an affinity for. To cut a long story short, it is a mysterious link between members of my inner circle.
The poem tells of the great Egyptian king, Ozymandias, long since passed from the face of this earth; His kingdom had long since crumbled to ash.
One interpretation, my interpretation changes with the passing of time, it becomes enriched with the wealth of experiences I ceaselessly add to my retinue.
Many interpretations abound, and on this day, this little poem stands as a warning against pride unfounded. All the glorious devices of his throne have gone, Ozymandias lies defiant and proud, proclaiming to the world his haughty dominance.
“All ye mighty gaze on me, all ye shall feel ye pale in my shade,” Ozymandias seems to taunt; Ozymandias yet asserts, his divine mandate to rule, to hold dominion over the sands that might remember this, Ozymandias insists.
So in this reduced and sand-dried earth, all that is remembered of Ozymandias are the words inscribed, upon the ruins of his glorious sculpture in stone.
Of all he conquered, and all he owned, nothing remains, not even a legacy. The memory of the ancient king has long since been erased from time. What remains of his intimidating might, the power to make even ye mighty despair?
Who might be in a position to know, no one, not you nor I.
Yet, he who might laugh the last laugh yet, not you nor me, but certainly him. For even in his dilapidated state the remnants of his story echoes. The name it manifests anew; new legends not necessarily all true are spawned and propagated.
Ozymandias may yet survive in new myths and tales we seek to tell. Yet in spite of all that and this, the pride that was originally his, fades of into silent obscurity. Replaced by a new persona, neither him or it.
So we hope, rest in peace, his pride and soul.
… So instead, you should do what puts your heart at ease.
That is the most precious lesson that I have learnt in the year 2009.
I see people everywhere, many close to me, fall desperately from grace. He would wades in a quagmire of filth, seeking to elevate himself above everyone else. Or he who bemoans the rest of the world for his own failings. He who holds himself in esteem when it source is merely charity.
It saddens me, but, we each walk our own path. We shape as much as we are shaped by the world around. And that which they walk is of their own volition.
I digress, sometimes, I get distracted.
As I was saying, I realize over the past year that I am prone to choosing a path that would satisfy the most number of people. A path of least attrition as Chye Ping once described it. Only problem is, the path of least attrition is not necessarily a wise path, it might be the slow path to eventual annihilation.
Alas, this path is never one of my own whims. It
lacked somewhat in satisfaction. Little did I realize how much it pains, until the Lady said to me “don’t do anything that goes against your heart. I can see the look of dissatisfaction in your eyes.”
It is time to abandon the politically correct, and be myself. Fear not about offending people, because afterall, the ones who matter, don’t care, and the ones who care, don’t matter.
Life is too short wasted on doing something you don’t like, and that’s a lesson I want to remember and practice.
That applies to my latest adversary/antagonist too. I respect her because she is following the call of her heart, and I will deal with her face on, and honourably, just as my heart says.
I am a little scared and afraid to face defeat, but I’d rather savour the bitter pain of loss than to live a bland permanence.
I was clearing up the mess in my room in a rare moment of free time, and little did I expect it to be rather therapeutic.
Lifting and moving the boxes of notes, I find hidden troves of memories. Tiny pieces of paper, scribbled full of words. Tiny trinkets and memorabilia from an age long since past.
You know it’s strange how it has not occurred to me to flip the room outside down. having been through a period of change, a golden period of change, there’s a need to create new spaces to accomodate the brand new world seeping into the old.
Like a fairy tale.
The first rays of the golden dawn gently caressing the leaves of the dusty old forest. The yellow light peels away the frigid leaves of the petrified branches, revealing to the eyes what was once a lush sea of green. A verdant jungle rich with emotions and feelings too strange and curious to chronicle.
Little did the little knight ever expect to re-visit this forgotten place, for he thought the memories of his new life would take up every other space.
But he’s glad he took that trip into the darkened recesses. Otherwise, how would he have know the beauty of her light that had permeated the cold murky depths.
It was simply breath-taking.
But enough of the allusions. In reality I found memories and echos from the past. I remembered glory and achievements, pain and sorrow,, I remembered embarassment and frustration, I remembered promises kept and forgotten, but strangely, there was a lack of ‘joy’.
I was really glad I took the time to pack the room up, making way for all the new portions of my life. I only wish you were here to awlk with me (in fact, weren’t you supposed to help me do it?)
Nonetheless, I can’t wait till you see it.
The call Tiger Woods ‘only human’ for cheating on his wife with multiple women. How can that be considered ‘only human’ or to any extent normal?
So instead of having the media portray him as a normal person, and create a ‘role model’ to define ‘normal’.
While it’s not wrong to err, and then make amends later, it surely isn’t a justifiable action. A wrong is a wrong, and a crime is a crime. True, Tiger deserves some slack, but also true is that we must never take a stance that committing crimes or sinning is a perfectly excusable act.
I came across this article while randomly surfing the news:
“What’s blue and white, squiggly and suddenly appears in the sky?
If you know the answer, pop it on a postcard and send it to the people of Norway, where this mysterious light display baffled residents yesterday.
What could it be?
A broken bat-light? A little hiccup in the LHC? A ultra-heavy duty projector? Or a failed Russian rocket launch?
Hmm…
A silent reminder and a little tribute to the guys who walked that road with me. Till this day, I find myself very much intrigued by this particular topic as I was all those years back.
And of course, as a reminder of the delicate peace we hold.
Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, twas his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England’s overthrow.
By God’s mercy he was catched
With a dark lantern and lighted match.
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King
It’s proposed that by adding an element of fun, an activity can appeal to people, and encourage positive change for everyone around.
This social experiment in Sweden yielded very promising results. How can we apply this to Singapore?
Somehow, it reminds me of a song from my childhood:
“In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job’s a game”
Whoa! It’s been a heck of a whirlwind ride through the most unforgettable final summer holiay before graduation.
A holiday filled with adventure, surprises, culinary exploits (with a fair bit of baking thrown into the mix), and of private island getaways. In short, little time for idling. It took my breath away, and you stole my heart.
So know, on the brink of the return to school, I wonder what lies in store.
Oh keep still my anxious heart.
I’ll be leaving, not quite on a jet-plane, but over seas to a tropical isle away from the reaches of technology.
Four days of relaxation, discovery and untold adventures.
I can’t wait till tomorrow.
In the mean time, I’ll see you guys when I get back.
Ciao!
Happy 3rd month anniversary dearie!
On this occasion of the 3rd month leading a new life with my dear, I take aside some time to write on the revelations that love has given me.
And don’t worry, it’s not in the mould of “mushy joined at the heart, moving as one”, I’ll save those for someone special. 
What inspired me was a particular idle, after-lunch talk with a friend one day. The topic revolved around one particular topic, love and relationships. It began as a discussion on the quality of girls in a certain hostel in a certain varsity in a sunny island of the equator, that progressed into a discussion the qualities of the girls you can find there. One thing lead to another and the topic veered into the territory of marriage.
“I want a wife who would stay at home, do up all the chores, and leave me free to find other flings.”
Friend said non-committally.
That was something that I did not agree with in the least bit.
How could someone entertain such thoughts? Isn’t the promise you will make when you marry inclusive of staying faithful and committed to one another?
(Before I proceed any further, I need to clarify some of my stances on the institution of marriage. I don’t believe that marriage is binding for marriage’s sake. In other words, I don’t believe going through the marriage unites the two hearts together. I believe in the power of the promise that two lovers make to each other on the altar that holds power over the rest of their lives.)
That being said, I felt it unethical to entertain thoughts of finding a wife just to take care of the households and wait on you. How was that different from hiring a maid? I mean, in my world, two people don’t go making vows just to have someone clean up the kitchen and raise the kids while you are at work.
Those, I believe are results of a union, that come from a need to raise a family, that stems from the promise of commitment to leading a life together.
The two parties have made a decision to thread this road together in a union. A union, regardless of its nature between two or more parties is always a matter of compromise and understanding. Family, friends, colleagues and which other forms of relationship that results in a union is all about compromises, it requires “give and take”.
I find that marriage is no different. Expecting a wife to be perfectly docile and condescending to the husband does not, in my books constitute a union. It becomes a demand. in this case, it is no longer a union between two willing parties, and devolves into a selfish ego-trip in that respect.
Love in my opinion must be between two parties who sacrifice and commit to each other. A couple, who through communication compromise to fit in their lives to raise each other up to greater heights than they could have ever achieved as individuals.
Ah, how I digress. Anyway, friend goes on to add that he understands the implications of his belief, but he thinks that the lifestyle he envisions gives him a freedom that “normal Singaporean men” do not have.
I felt very offended at that thought. He described the following scenario “where the husbands drive the kids around, wait on the wives hand and foot, and generally become a shadow of their former selves,” was to act as the platform for his argument that love was the end of freedom.
Let’s examine the freedom from his perspective.
True, that he has the freedom to flirt around and if lucky, bed a few of his flings. He is free to find a new one the moment that he find the present on boring or unattractive. He will not be obliged to restrict certain activities to just one partner.
And of course, freedom from my perspective.
Sure, you gain the freedom to move around the lady’s circle without any strings to hold you down, but I have freedom that he does not have. I have the freedom to put my heart at ease, knowing that there is a loving dedicated girlfriend there to support and talk to me. I am free in the knowledge that should anything happen to me, she will be there to kiss me and make it better.
You see, both views are talk of a freedom; it simply depends on how you view it. As I explain to people, and to friend, that I do not know which method is best. All I can do is to present the different perspective and perhaps my own view to help persuade and convince people of the merits of my system of belief.
Flirting around every night might appear fun and novel at the beginning, but the thing with flirting is that it leads nowhere permanent. The nature of a fling is that the relationship functions on a temporal level. There’s hardly any need or inclination towards stability. I mean honestly, they’re out there for a good time, and both parties should know it by now (I mean if they have had been at it long enough).
I find that emotionally taxing and difficult to sustain as a mode of living in the long term. Moving form one woman to the next, means having to accustom yourself to accepting a new person at every turn. Or, like most people in the “game” do, they fall into a certain routine. In short, the process of dating becomes an exercise in the skills of the playeur and his repertoire of tricks to impress the girls.
At the end of the day, being a playeur does not fulfill one spiritually. A playeur doesn’t search for the connection, the bond or the love. In a certain way, the one thing a playuer searches for is the satisfaction of the conquest. ‘Conquest’, that is temporal.
And as I’m headed off from here soon, I’ll leave it at here for now. =)
