Hope’s Path

Hope is difficult path to tread.

Boulders of self-doubt,

Marked obstacles on the way.

Hope is a difficult path to tread.

Hope is a dimly lit path to tread.

Shadows and light interplay,

Hard to discern.

Hope is a dimly lit path to tread.

Hope is a long path to tread.

Roads wind, twist and turn,

Journey feels endless.

Hope is a long path to tread.

Sometimes I feel

In this journey of Hope,

The only way

Hope can be overcome;

Hope can be lit;

Hope can be navigated;

Is with Faith.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

Another depressing-but-must-see in the city of Phnom Penh. We initially planned to visit the museum and the Killing Fields on the same day, but now I’m glad we got to split them up. 2 depressing spots in one day would have been too much.

 

 

 

 

 

The tour guide who brought us around (for USD6) shared about how her father, brother and sister were killed under the Pol Pot regime, because her father used to be a soldier under General Lon Nol. Her mother and her only managed to escape because they went to live in the refugee camp in Vietnam. Her mother is still reluctant to visit the S-21 Prison Museum, and when she herself started working as a tour guide she remembered crying everyday.

Today in Cambodia, it is not difficult to find anyone who has been affected by the regime. Numerous families have lost at least one member during the war – missing or dead. Hearing her say such words made me look at the Cambodian people differently. What are the similar yet unique stories behind each smile, gesture, and service? What do they tell themselves such that they can move on from their recent and gory history?

Like plants that can grow out of cracks in cement, will they be able to harness what they have left, and build themselves up again?

F.A.I.T.H

“Faith is Love with Reverence. It is deep Love, with deep Reverence.”

And Faith is what I hope to keep,

As we grope through existence;

The beacon that makes it possible for us to stand up when we fall,

And continue till we reach the source.

Hope for the Best

 

I thought of the boys who were restless
And playful and labelled “naughty”,
But became mesmerized by the sound of their recorded voices
And started getting creative
In ways I did not imagine they knew.
I selected them for the showcase
I saw their eyes light up
I hope I made a difference.

 

I thought of the girl who sits quietly

But approached me after school

And asked questions of curiosity

Questions I did not imagine she could think of.

I told her we study history,

so that we can understand humans better,

and hence learn about ourselves.

I saw her eyes light up

I hope I made a difference.

When all is said and done

When fatigue and unappreciation makes you wonder if you are even doing the right thing to begin with.

Only hope remains.

Hope

Hope

is the anticipation of better things to come.

Hope

is a beautiful ray of light amidst shadows.

Hope

is the possibility of happenings.

To have Hope

is to have Faith.

Just Once More.

“When the world says, “Give up,”

Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”