Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: CHILDHOOD (03/09/17)
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TITLE: I was a Joseph! | Previous Challenge Entry
By Caleb Cheong
03/15/17 -
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ADD TO MY FAVORITES
and a towering trestle
which babbled and gurgled
and sent gushing foamy water down
The water soon swam swiftly
towards a wide waiting pond
where its water looked like milk tea
some water then scurried up the trestle
The spartan house, whose zinc roof glared
,with a wooden ceiling
to ward off the hostile heat
,was shrouded by shady scented fruit trees
There I lived as a kid
with Grandma, tall and thin,
who spoilt me with mangoes
which I savoured and swallowed gleefully
Occasionally she would test
my loyalty-asking
whether I preferred living
with her or my parents
I mustered all the courage
to sound politically right
"Of course, Grandma's place best!"
She responded with a grin and a stroke
Life seemed happy ever after
until I hid below a canvass bed
where her cold lifeless body laid
to rest, awaiting the
traditional rituals and rites
A five-year old pretended to ignore
the hard question by 'ostritching'
while the adults mourning
and busily preparing for the funeral
After her death I was then asked
by my aunt to decide
between her and my family
Somehow I felt drawn to my roots
Soon I was transported
back to my parents' home
to face the reality
of living with estranged brothers
Often I was treated like Joseph
my siblings saw me as an intruder
who tried to move their piece of cake
and vied for the affections they much enjoyed
I lived by my wits
from childhood to adolescence
my conceitedness must have compounded
the rivalry in our relationship
Things are different now
as I mature in Christ
in later years
I change, forgive and move forward
What has always amazed
me is my backgrounds
My family was not followers
many of them still stay the same
In retrospect
my childhood is my best teacher
who has taught me hard facts
of life for His glory
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