lone traveller from kuala lumpur to tokyo to china cold places, strange people warm and cold so many unknowns that became knowns that resulted in an occasional shopping tete-a-tete and at those fortunate birthday celebrations thrown by foreign friends met at school, work place we uttered words usually made between friends of mere days a coldness in between as we sung and tried to break the ice between the candles lighted and blown and they were usually in the nights when lonely hearts sought out avenues to brighten things up for themselves and their newly acquired friend and also workplace friends who try to punctuate the life of a foreign soul with things famliar, to light up the candles of his life journey inspired by: A Birthday Poem Just past dawn, the sun stands with its heavy red head in a black stanchion of trees, waiting for someone to come with his bucket for the foamy white light, and then a long day in the pasture. I too spend my days grazing, feasting on every green moment till darkness calls, and with the others I walk away into the night, swinging the little tin bell of my name. Ted Kooser

zahida