游罗马城

这些远道而来的痴人
在冷风中颤抖着寻觅
他们心仪的历史英雄人物
精神偶像
回味着几百年前的故事
兴衰胜败
悲凄壮烈
浪漫艳丽
帝王将相的影子
尽化成残堰废墟的碎石
在烟灰中发出无奈的叹息。

Travel, as W.E Williams once said, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder , a part of experience. You see splendid castles and buildings lived by kings, queens, princes and princesses, courts of justice, churches and monasteries; walls and fortifications of cities and towns, havens and harbours, antiquities and ruins. One would have a chance to look at the left behind canons , statutes of heroes riding high on horseback depicting their past, just or unjust, glorious or disgraced as we analyse their deeds and look at them from this 21st century, in the light of one world, one mankind. Of course, one can go to more details by visiting some libraries and museums.May be one can walk around the old college buildings of Cambridge and ponder over the achievements of those reknown scholars who had rocked the world with their invention and immortal work which eventually brought great impact on us in Asia. Frankly, my days among them have passed. Around me I could behold the mighty minds of old casting their casual eyes on me as I walked past the memory lane. To this end, I cannot resist writing here a few lines of great admiration and respect from my inner soul besides the scenic spots, the crystal clear waters in Lake Garda, the hills and mountains and gardens in Florence, the undestuctable ruins of history in Rome, the poetic and picturesque loch and plains in Scotland highlands....., these attractions to young and old, Oriental and Occidental tourists, spending their hard-earned money ( like me) or may be their life time savings to gether around the local tour guides ,with walkie-talkie hanging over the neck, hoping to catch a glimse of what had happened since two thousand years ago from among the noisy crowds and the cold and dilapidated ruins, are certainly something worth mentioning and passing on to our beloved ones. For many years to come, they are the sweet memories to recall for the simple reason it was an unforgettable trip of the Chins and acquaintances.

Watching an evening Star!
We, that are no more young , are better able to remember things which befell us in our distant youth, than the passages of later days. For this reason it is, that the companions of my strong and vigorous years present themselves more immediately to me in this corner of the universe looking for an evening star to appear in the twilight. Every memory that returns to my imagination raises different passions, according to the the circumstances of their departure.
No matter how, I still behold the smiling earth-- A large train of challenges were coming on to my memory, when suddenly the phone rang and interrupted me with a call, that I lost the deal.
May be I can just wait for another day. There may be a evening star , a cheer for me to have attempted what I am still pursuing. learning to wait.

我与《童年十字港》

2008年7月4日的晚上。带着一股兴奋的心情，我又回到了母校。

在邱文玉冷气礼堂里，遇见了很多熟悉的面孔，包括很多我儿时的朋友。我的两个热爱华文教育的表弟也来了。的确，他们的出现，使我内心感到一阵温馨。平日和居銮亲友很少见面，今夜，我们都热情澎湃，都为华文教育， 为建设母校义买义卖，献上一份绵力。

那是在中马居銮校友会精心安排下，我和诗人马阳共同为筹募母校建设基金的诗集推介之夜。更贴切一点，那是马阳校友《山民曲》再版的推介礼和他的文学讲座盛会。能够在这样一个充满文化气息的晚上听马阳谈旧话今，也推介我的第一本诗集《童年的十字港》，是我的荣幸！人生不想见， 动如参与商。今次母校风华九十，十年后辉煌百年，能否还有机会相聚一起，重温爱我中华之心，重叙故乡之浓情。说是缘分吧，我却真情期待。

居銮，我的老家，人生 织梦的开始点。那是我接受启蒙教育，在生活中打滚寻求方向和 成长的地方。每当想起居銮，我会想起陶沙庄，南芭山，我的外婆， 我的父母， 我的朋友，更会想起我的老师和我的学生。他们的脸孔会一个个在我面前出现。我的诗集里头第一首朗诵诗《敬礼，銮中》，就是我对这一群华教拓荒者的缅怀，对母校敬礼和祝愿的感情抒发。

取名《童年的十字港》也许并不很适合。最后采用了它是因为十字港曾是我童年和父母一起吃过苦的地方，人生的十字路口。算是我平生第一本诗集吧。由于时间久远， 我只能简略地叙述了日本入侵马来亚那个动乱时代中的小段童年生活。当年，为了逃避饥饿，父母带着全家从吉隆坡迁到阿罗士打的十字港耕田过活，战后才搬回外婆居住的居銮。20年的颠簸生活，最后落户于吉隆坡，给了我很多宝贵的生活经验和感受。

70年代在电台服务时，偶尔有唱片制作公司邀请写写歌词。兴起时，也和同事搞过《本地歌曲试唱会》的活动。歌词写得多了，自己也慢慢地喜欢写诗。写一些自己认为较有意境的诗。就这样，凑成了这本《童年的十字港》。要说明的是，自己对白话诗的技巧，形式和风格都很模糊，谈不上什么模式或流派。说穿了它只是我多年来生活上的点点滴滴，感情的抒写。也许有点琐碎，却含有甜酸苦辣，爱憎喜恶和打从心里发出的 赞叹和哀伤。它是我忙中偷闲时的一种消遣和 工作压力的疏解药。如果可以的话，就称为诗歌吧，因为里头的确有一些是可歌可唱的。


上了年纪的人想的是过去。的确，童年时的稻田生活给了我很多美好的回忆和写诗素材。中学时代偶尔也尝试写过一些诗，很多都被我丢了。26年在政府部门工作，给我很多的感触，特别是在东海岸看海的那段日子。《美浓岛的回忆》是一个令人心酸的船民故事。我在1986年访问了这个离岸约200哩的美浓岛， 当年收留越南船民的小岛。那是一个令人心酸的时代。一批又一批的越南船民，其中很多是华裔越南船民，都投奔怒海千方百计来到美浓岛，并 希望通过这里再被转到第三国家去。由于船民人数越来越多，很多国家都把船民赶回公海，因此发生了诗里头所描述的惨剧。如今 一切都已事过境迁， 然而那些失神落魄的脸孔，仍然令人不时回想起：苛政的残酷，自由的压迫，带来多少人间悲剧！

这本《童》诗，是我平生的第一次尝试。诗不容易写，也不容易写得好。我好像赤裸裸地站在人前，暴露自己的短处，却不知哪里来的勇气。它里头有我对人的真实感情，对事的忠实表白和关切。诗集在仓促中出版，不管是校友会给我压力也好， 鼓励也好，我要感谢他们，也感谢其他协助和资助我出版的好朋友。