Keeping My Nose Above Water

I've had just enough time to...   keep my nose above water

Taken of the turtle keeping its nose above water in Gunung Lang, Perak, Malaysia

Keeping my nose above water

That is what I do

As my whole body goes under

I fight to stay afloat

With my nose just on top

Pulled down by my weight

The world upon my shoulders

Pushing me under

I struggled to the surface

Push my nose up above

Desperate to survive

Another moment

For...

Maybe a helping hand

A chance upon a random log

Or to make it to dry land on my own

But that seems so far away…

I paddle there…

Bobbing up and down

Grasping air with every breath

I just keep going

Keep reminding -

Courage is in the struggle

That spirit is all

Keeping me

From going under…

When The World Is A Lonely Place.

I've had just enough time to...   test my courage.

Taken on the top of Maxwell hill, Perak, Malaysia.

When your world is shrouded in mist

And you could not see further than the nearest tree

When it come closing in

And you could not reach for a helping hand

When you are utterly alone

And the world seems such a dreadful place

You will learn what courage is.

The Small Boy And His Boat.

I've had just enough time to...   see the small boy again.

Taken off the coast of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

I saw the small boy in his boat struggling with the oar twice his height. He is too short to sit and paddle, so he sat right at the edge. Leaning precariously backward for leverage, he used his entire frame to push the oar against the water. He has not yet mastered the finesse of paddling. His awkward movements rocked the boat as he forced it forward.

There was no one to help him. No one to guide him. It was just him alone and the wide water. I witnessed his struggle. I saw courage. I saw heart. I saw determination. I saw him learning with every stroke.

As I walked away, the image of the small boy in the wide water floated in my head. It reminded me of another small boy a long, long time ago.