CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A "3-LEGGED" MAN (... 2 of 2)

CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A "THREE-LEGGED" MAN (... Part 2 of 2) 

A Story of Hope and Perseverance: 

Dedicated to my Mentor, 
Andrew W. F. Wong 黃宏發
(Huang Hongfa)
                                                                       -- by his e-student Frank C Yue
                                                                                           (1st posted on 2012.01.07)

To regain some strength in both your feet, will you listen to me?
I can do all these simple things I'm going to show you, you see.
Dump ALL your negative mental, physical burdens in this playground.
Be most thankful you can walk, and grow stronger daily, round after round!

I don't just talk the talk,
I also walk the walk
And do walk while I talk,
Or talk when I do walk.

Walk with confidence, stability, with a much wider gait --
Before moving one leg forward, over it empty your weight.
The other leg thus supports your body one hundred per cent.
Never drag your feet along the ground, walk with high spirits then.

All the toes of the supporting leg grasp the ground firmly,
As if the substantial leg digs into the ground deeply.
Time to move supporting leg: Relax and empty it at once;
With practice, smooth walking will be automatically done.

Obviously, his leg muscles and tendons badly need strengthening.
I show him the Nazi “Goose-steps”, the most vigorous parade thing!
He's then glad to kick out each empty leg ere putting it down again;
(Later, he should kick twice, thrice for each leg: His efforts shan't be in vain.)

“When an antique tree's health begins to fail,
First its firm roots will rot and become stale!
When numbered are a senile person's days,
Often the feeble legs will first give way.” **

Knowledge is certainly power, but it's only potential power.
To realize full power, one must take strong action hour after hour.
Knowing how to do it is only half of the whole story --
We ourselves must take action to attain our goals, our glory!

Vigorously working the leg muscles will grow them daily.
So, one must also train them by standing on One Leg only.
At first, just put one hand on the bench-back as one-leg stand is done;
Increase the time, change legs, withdraw hand: Voila! -- the first battle's won!

I show him the progressively more
Difficult stands -- like the “Figure 4”:
Hands, leg raised either behind or fore.
Plus the Shaolin's
One-leg squattin'
“Arhat Worshipping Buddha” form --
Now, he's driven to do just below the norm.

I do not see him for a couple of weeks when sightseeing north;
Afterwards, as I set sight on him a pleasant surprise springs forth.
Even at a distance, he's walking taller, with greater stride;
With his trusted cane, he now moves with some ease and great pride.

I compliment him amply on his fine work done so good;
How did you manage to keep up the hard work as one should?
“I could ill-afford a wheelchair plus helper, that'll be so blue!
And I am doing this not just for m'self, but my grandkids, too.”

“My back's now right against the rising, raging, cruel river --
If I still refuse to exercise and forge ahead strongly,
I'll be caught, by both time and tide; end up in 'the drink' wrongly.
I don't really fancy drowning in misery forever!”

I see him again and again, on and off, some weeks later.
Other park users say he's generally walking better.
Sometimes, his performance could be better, but time he's borrow'd;
Let's hope he'll persevere, walk even better for each morrow!

(At the same local park here
I might not see him next year.
For him, I have more tricks to show;
Of him, only if I'd get hold.)

Adieu, Adieu! My young “old” friend,
I'm shunning the bustling city
To return to serenity.
Take good care;
Should you dare --
We shall all walk briskly, again!


** ... "When numbered are a senile person's days,
         Often the feeble legs will first give way.”
 
-- my rendition of the popular Chinese folk saying: 

       樹老根先枯，
       人老腳先衰。