COME, AND SHOW YOURSELF IF YOU CAN, MR. CHAN -- MY OLD 'THREE-LEGGED' FRIEND!

COME, AND SHOW YOURSELF IF YOU CAN, MR.

CHAN -- MY OLD 'THREE-LEGGED' FRIEND!

 

-- by Frank C Yue

        Mr. Chan, how are you now?
         O Mr. Chan, where art thou?

 

These days, back to the local park I go,

When the dawn's still young, for the "morning show".
Students and office workers hurry by
Before the Sun in the sky rises high.
While other pedestrians walk past in stealth,
Some home helpers chat loud among themselves.

Now, groups of old folks are exercising

As early birds in the trees are singing.
These bodies in motion are mostly women,
That makes me wonder: Gone where have all the men?
Here are only a few singleton males, including me,
Each doing his own thing on his tiny territory.

Most of the active 'Fairer-Sex' working out here

Are the same moving bodies I did meet last year.
In unison, the ladies are now doing Taiji;
Then the popular "18-Form Qigong Taiji".
Some older ones can barely keep up with the others;
But, rather than not moving at all, this is far better.

While exercising, I keep looking around,

Hoping to see "Mr. Chan" at this playground.
He's my friend: A man with a cane I met last year 
When I taught him how to walk more at ease here --
How to walk with confidence, with a wider stride;
He persevered and was walking with greater pride.

Now, these mornings will I ever meet him again?

I'll see how he's improved and what can be done then.
"My name's Chan," he said last time in the morning light;
This time around, on him I hope to set sight.
For him, I have more tricks to show;
Of him, only if I'd get hold.

 ... When, in the park, there is almost no one around

I would jump onto the bench like a drunken clown,
Turning left and right, avoiding, deflecting enemy blows,
Twisting this way and that, following different rhythm flows,
Thrusting my twin fists skywards, body extending,
Crouching down low with resting stance, body contracting...  

But -- Mr. Chan's nowhere to be found,
Though I look and I search around.
If you can read this, my old friend,
Just show up and we'll talk again.
We walked side by side together
In this park last year, remember?

O! How quickly things shall come to pass...

Happy moments are too beautiful to last,
It's useless to lament things gone by in the Past.
To the Present, with your Loved Ones, hold on fast!
Could he have moved into a home for the elderly?
Or, to the Happy Land? There's a possibility.

Come, and show yourself if you can --

Mr. Chan -- my old 'three-legged' friend!
Some day we will meet again,
The sufferings shan't be in vain --
When breaks the New Morning
In the Eternal Spring!