11th March 2011, came like every other day,
people went about their business like they did each day,
but what occurred that very afternoon,
brought so much grief, gloom and doom,
it changed Japan for ever after,
even the world felt the repercussion for years thereafter.

The earthquake and tsunami were so utterly devastating,
even viewed on TV and around the world, while it was raging,
so much damage and such an unbelievable tragedy,
even for Japan, who are always prepared and ready,
its now a decade since that earthquake and tsunami,
newer tragedies are occurring to affect everyone globally.

This day will always be different for Japan, from all others,
somehow suspended in time like no other,
we know the Japanese are strong and resilient,
even though that tragedy was very different,
the Japanese  are able to bounce back and recover,
even though the trauma and the hurt was like no other.

Our hopes and good wishes are with you, Japan,
even though you facing the pandemic as well, in your homeland,
Japan will always be the land of the rising sun,
even though for others, its a setting one,
lets hope, there  will not be another similar tragedy,
to devastate the land from under the sea.

As we peer into the nightly dark,
in the nothingness there is indeed some starry spark,
the long tails of comets streaking,
across the night sky while we are contemplating,
galaxies in their millions lay hidden in the deep blackness,
where we always thought was complete nothingness.

Ah ! the wondrous splendour of creation,
it's so spell-binding and breathtaking,
there are however those  who believe in  evolution,
it's a toss-up between both like a movie in the making,
we just need the "spirit" to grab each "opportunity",
and the   "perseverance" to  achieve our universal destiny.

That's the way it is,
the way it always was,
but  COVID-19 has reset what we always thought was bliss,
with  lockdowns,   quarantines and masks.

We have certainly turned the corner, there is no going back,
it seems that we are now all on another level and a different track,
the final destination can ultimately  be bright and assuredly positive,
it depends on the journey itself , as long as it not  negative.

There will be, a new way it is,
and the way it always be,
so that this  new " abnormal, " normal ,
will just   become the normal,  normal.

We are peeling away the dead skin,
of the old ways,
into a new and brighter dimension it seems,
beginning this very day !

Mangoes sun-kissed to become amazing,
ripening on the tree very temptingly,
so sweet, luscious  and quite captivating,
  deliciously tasty like yummy  drips of golden honey.

Mangoes abundantly fruiting in this land, everywhere,
to tempt the appetite, as if we need a reason,
then disappear without due notice, or an au revoir,
until the next long  awaited mango season.

It may be our mission,
to achieve our overall vision,
but what is that overall vision ?

Some would conclude that it is to live an honest and God - fearing life,
so that we can avoid  going down the wrong path and falling into strife.

The mission should always consist of a set of strategies,
so as to achieve your particular set goals and objectives,
one may use Key Performance Indicators, so as to evaluate,
the  plan of actions and strategic plans, that will eventuate.

Such plans should direct you on the path to achieve your individual mission,
which after all, is aimed at achieving your initial  overall vision.

What is typical, may not always be what is topical,
what appears to be topical today, may not always be typical,
one just have be very tactful and tactical,
when choosing between what is typically topical,  
and  what is typically typical,
that also applies to the reverse,
the difference is very wide and clear and that becomes  fairly obvious.

Complacency can have a  dangerous and tragic consequence,
leading to carelessness and blind ambivalence,
it insidiously grows  on you, to become your new normal,
because some of us regard prolonged COVID -19  lockdowns and restrictions, both  tiring and  abnormal.

Who are the driver or drivers of change ?
some would conclude and confidently say ,
that it is the government of the day,
some would differ and say, that it is the corporations,
that are the drivers of the changes in our nations,
still some would say, that it is the international organisations,
with their benchmarks and standards and aid programs,
to develop economies and avoid possible bedlam.

At the end of the day the drivers are just us - the ordinary people,
we are the ones in the drivers seat, and that sounds quite reasonable,
after all, as we can plainly see,
we actually drive the car, because we have the car keys !

So  fast  the years have gone by,
life now seems more difficult, despite how hard we try,
at least what helps one through the day,
is that our children  now adults, are making a life for themselves both near and far away,
we had struggled to put food on the table,and give them a good education,
so that they can be good and honest citizens in each of   our nation.

Now that they have their own lives and  daily struggles,
at least they try not to bother us each day, with their own family troubles,
but like good parents, we are always willing to help them,
even if they reassure us that its all good with them.

We are all facing trying and difficult days,
its extra-ordinary and unprecedented, as they say,
but there are still many opportunities, for us still out there,
so we will have to just remain positive and not to  despair.

So, to all our  senior citizens who had faithfully and nobly served,
to develop each of our countries, to the state it deserved,
do the best you can, each remaining days  to survive,
so that you do not end up in difficulties and in strife.

Remember, as the sun sets  in your  twilight days,
it always rises brightly the very next day,
to bring joy, when there could have been gloom,
and bring light to a dark and lonely  empty room.

Is the  reality,
that we see and feel really the actuality ?
because  reality can now be computer- generated in any form,
to produce a virtual reality, which is really a fake norm,
so what we probably see these days in pictures and on screen,
may not always be what we really think it is, or what it seems.

There are probably many possibilities, each with a different outcome,
giving many  realities that are possible, under the sun,
even what we fervently believe as cold and sober reality,
may not be really something we perceive as such to be,
it can  really be for many,  a hard ask,
because many possible realities, is just really a hard reality to grasp.

We  each need to  determine which reality we are actually in today,
lets just step back and ask the  real question this way,
is the reality we are in now  in, really  a virtual reality ?
or is the generated virtual reality,  really   the real actuality ?

We all need to soberly ponder on this real life question,
so that we can head in the real and right direction,
after carefully making the appropriate   determination,
of what is really real about the current situation.

Going the extra mile for persons deemed to be ordinary,
can make their journeys to become quite extra-ordinary,
the very bold and the brave risk- takers,
can really become the great and astute vision-makers,
who can and will achieve their noble mission,
with sheer determination and clear 20/20 vision.

Is there a calm before this storm,
or will there be a storm before the calm ?
is it a beginning to an ending,
or an ending to a beginning ?
is this a global warming, before a global cooling,
or a  cooling before the global warming ?

Are we in the cycle of life,
or  should we call it a life of cycles ?
have we become bad and mad drivers on our roads,
or the roads just bad and driving us mad ?

Was  there  an epidemic before this pandemic,
or the pandemic before an epidemic ?
will our inner strength and resilience knock out this pandemic,
or will this pandemic knock out our resilience and strength ?
are there answers  to this inevitable questions,
or will there be questions to the inevitable answers ?

We need to think and act responsibly globally,
by thinking and acting sensibly locally,
however, if we continue to act irresponsibly,by carelessly littering locally,
then it would really be difficult to think and act sensibly globally.

When we trash, litter and pollute our local environment,
we are just adding to the pollution of our global environment,
so we need to think and act sensibly locally,
before we can ever try to think and act sensibly globally.

One seemingly small and insignificant positive action  today, collectively becomes one giant step into a bright future, to begin
the new  day.

Its time to think outside the box and reset,
change the way we do things, with a new mindset,
a valuable opportunity has to all now been given,
which calls for a positive outlook and to always believing,
that every dark cloud, can have a lining of silver,
meaning that there can be a successful outcome, to every endeavour.

Lets take the time to move forward positively with confidence,
despite COVID-19' s sudden spikes and waves of resurgence,
we just have to remain  strong and adhere to  the restrictions,
if we want to really overcome this dreaded viral invasion.