Speaking With My Heart, My Eyes,

I've always been tongue-tied in a crowd -
that accounts for all the comments i get:
in Form 1, friends would gather into after-exam groups -
i would be sitting alone - with my story book;
and Miss Loke Chee Ping had noticed, and said:
"Cheng Neo, go and join your friends!" - chat...

When i was in Form 2, i was no better,
Mr Leslie Foo See Jork noticed, and challenged:
"If Cheng Neo would tell a story -
gold would drop from the sky!"
and all my classmates prompted,
"Come on, Cheng Neo, tell a story!"

Many a time have i wanted to put in a word -
to be in the crowd, to be noticed,
to be listened to, but i never did -
till i was in Form 5:
a librarian, a prefect, the Sri Barian Editor -
and not hiding in the shadow of and elder sis who speaks...

It is said that action speaks louder than words
so I suppose that was how my heart was heard
for what I can't say in so many words
i learned to write from my heart...
speak through my eyes...
And say it with a touch...

Till I became a teacher
and a teacher has to speak up to be heard
till I became a master trainer for ETeMS
and friends helped me along all the way
to grow from a shy speaker to a bold one:
i enrolled in the Innovative Teacher Competition
and invited myself to the district meet, and I spoke
then I went with the BCCC students to Bandung
And I volunteered my opinion: I spoke
not just to you alone, but to the whole crowd,
not only in English, but in Bahasa Malaysia as well
and speaking comes easy now, with 35 years of practice...

Now though I still find it easier to express myself in writing
i could also say the same words out loud, for you...