Page 436 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 15 February 2005

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Tsunami charity golf day

MRS BURKE (Molonglo) (5.48): Like most members I received notification of a tsunami charity golf day from Paul Su from the Malaysian community. As a mark of respect to Mr Su and the community I would like to read out a poem that was written by him:

A Time to Ponder

Many were lucky, many unlucky

Perished not knowing what is a Tsunami

I ask myself the meaning of this devastation

In this season of celebration

The world now remains in shock

And South Asia is still taking stock

Those alive, those dead and those missing

And the rest of us left grieving

Maybe it is better dead than alive

The pain gone, the spirits soar high

Nearer heaven, towards eternity

No pain, no suffering, no more calamity

The fortunate ones or rather unfortunate survivors

Remain to pick up the pieces and all the woes

No homes, no water, no food and no land

And wondering what is the meaning of this game

Things happen as they do

Expressing their natural hue

Their very nature we do not see

But what we imagine them to be

So the ocean floor decides to adjust its backside

Displacing a small volume of water which forms a tide

The tide sweeps until it hits the shore

And lo and behold it causes a furore

Within a minute it comes and goes

Carting along all movables in a row

A million lost, a baby fell

What a story each has to tell

But it matters not, what is the fuss

For all things must surely come to pass

All things happen for a reason

All things happen for no reason

And so my friends, I wonder, I ponder

The meaning of this disaster

Who can we blame or shame

And why it should happen to them

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