J: Lobsters for Lunch -- I dropped the lobster traps

He is risen! Happy Easter!

And one of the "lost ones" has now been found.

I was glad that, while de-cluttering my desk recently, I uncovered a piece of scrap paper on which was written the following little poem by my grandson. What a pleasant surprise! (Some photos have been added here for presentation purposes.)

  One-way street for hungry lobsters!    Colourful Floats             Danger sign at Peggy's Cove

Lobsters for Lunch
-- by J , written on June 26, 2014 near Peggy's           Cove, Nova Scotia en route the 7-day Quebec City-                Boston New England cruise on Holland America's ms Veendam.

I dropped the lobster traps on the sea bed,
For them to crawl in, the lobsters red.
On the spike I put on fish as bait,
I took the boat back to wait and wait.
Then I checked the traps for lobsters before lunch;
O It's so delicious, munch! munch! munch!

Of course, I did help with some leading rhyming suggestions.
And has anyone ever seen a "red", live lobster? Haha.
But the important thing is to keep the then 11-year-old interested and his poetic thoughts flowing. At my urging and with a dangling carrot (of cash awards), the two grand kids each wrote four short poems on-site about the interesting things they experienced on the cruise; this is the only one salvaged for J. He wrote the short poem after a "show and tell talk" on the lobster trap by our local guide Bruce who drove the party of six tourists around in his van. 

J simply has forgotten all his poems now. Likewise for his younger sister. O, No big deal perhaps for the kids and parents, but not so for this "poet-grandpa"... ha! 
Actually, as "straight-A or almost straight-A students", they did not find writing the poems too difficult. It is like doing a 6-line word puzzle, with suitable rhymes provided on demand.
 Yummy! (Photo from Holland America Line guide book)

 O Why me, eh?       Lobster boats      When will I see you again?

孫星衍 最難風雨故人來 How joyous when an old friend comes

「莫放春秋佳日過，

    最難風雨故人來。」

     -- 清‧孫星衍 楹聯

A Famous Chinese Couplet
-- Sun Xing-yan (Qing Dynasty)  
-- Translated by Frank C Yue

Don't let the fine Spring and Autumn days slip by again;

How joyous when an old friend comes in the 

wind and rain!  

The following commentary culled from the net:

詩人說道，不要讓大好時光匆匆流逝，應當珍惜美好時光；而有朋友在風雨交加時節前來探望，最是人生快事。

清代學者 孫星衍，為乾隆朝榜眼，著名小學、金石學家，也是藏書家、目錄學家。年少時，與楊芳燦、洪亮吉、黃景仁等一樣以文學見長，袁枚稱為他為「天下奇 才」。一生博覽群書，勤於著述，阮元即曾聘他為詁精經舍教習，並主講鍾山書院。其人才學博洽，「莫放春秋佳日過，最難風雨故人來」這一聯句，即是他一生所 寫過的篆字楹聯中最知名者。

亦有說此聯句，乃出自明代的馮子振《鸚鵡曲‧山亭逸興》一詩：「嵯峨峰頂移家住，是個不唧溜樵父。爛柯時樹老無花，葉葉枝枝風雨。故人曾喚我歸來，卻道不如休去。指門前萬疊雲山，是不費青蚨買處。」孫星衍之聯句雖未必出自於此，然意境略有相通之處，仍可一併參考。

孫 星衍這一聯句，以極淺明之文字，道盡人生最至關緊要的兩件大事，一是享受春秋佳日之美好，二是友朋造訪之美至樂至喜至。就前句「莫放春秋佳日過」而言，語 本陶潛《移居》詩「春秋多佳日，登高賦新詩」之意而來，明顯具有人生貴閒適，而登高賦詩正是春秋佳日最具妙趣之事。可見，孫星衍對於人生之體會何等自在自 適。

而後句「最難風雨故人來」之「風雨」本指大自然刮風下雨，亦比喻惡劣的處境。《詩經‧鄭風‧風雨》篇所云之境，恰與此同：「風雨凄凄，雞鳴喈喈，既見君子。云胡不夷。風雨瀟瀟，雞鳴膠膠。既見君子，云胡不瘳。風雨如晦，雞鳴不已。既見君子，云胡不喜。」

在風雨交加之淒冷中，人容易感到孤獨或身處危難，這時一旦有故友風雨無阻，不邀而至，最令人心喜，此乃人生最難能可貴之事。是以，「最難風雨故人來」成為傳誦不歇的名句。

Never find yourself in Any dangerous scene

A Winning Self-Defence  Strategy
-- by Frank C Yue

Shun all hazardous scenes: It is imperative.
Always be prepared, alert and non-combative.
Walk away from insults, any threatening stranger;
Don't be bewildered when suddenly facing danger.
Against hostility, assertiveness apportion;
Be calm, confident, tactful before any action.

Of your own strengths and the enemy's, be sure.
But move like lightning when action is assured.
Expect the unexpected: Leave first strike to the attacker; 
When shoved time and again just his wrist or little finger.
Always apply minimal force to match the mug;
Never blindly pursue a desperate thug.

When you're choked from the front with outstretched arms
Break free with strong up-and-down ripping palms,
Palm-strike his chin, spear-hand his throat -- the key
Is to strike through the target! -- and kick his knee.
The best defence is no offence and common sense.
Win without fighting, or run away, if you can:

Never find yourself in
Any dangerous scene.