The Final Hour

It's so ironic, how we love to hate
It's a tragedy, that we lick the bait

It is stunning how we love to despise
Real mystery, we enjoy demise

Forty nations unite, to crush a gang
But stuck to save village, under the fang

The Egyptian snake, has just left the bag
Ready to bite us all, laughs like the hag

Tempers have been flared, they're armed to the teeth
Soldiers like the dogs are free from the leash

Iron birds in the sky, ready to drop
Messages from hell, are about to pop

The horns have been blown, the death flags are up
Men ready to kill, then drink from the cup

Devil has played his hand, ready to draw
Brought out the Denver blue, sword and the saw

Dome is the target, Marines are in place
Prince is waiting to reveal his face

Lambs are all tied up, wolves ready for hunt
Men busy buying bracelets from the Cunt

Remember this, when scrolling down the page
Your ignorance, has brought upon this cage

Fear is what we fail to understand
Violence is the fruit that grows in the sand

Learn to love thy neighbor, easy to hate
Live and be damn free, for that is your fate

No matter how dark, cloudy night shall be
The break of dawn is near, you will see

Then we ought to choose, to go right or wrong
The right way won't be the devil's sweet song

Never give up freedom, your only gift
Never give in to temptation, you'll drift

The hour's upon us, grows so near
Have faith in the truth, and learn to hear

Isis eye is lurking around the bear
So keep both eyes open if you too care

Be brave and bold, don't give in to fear
Stare evil in the eye, have no tear

Cowards die, many times before their death
But the brave die only once, that's the test

Hope in despair, is desperate rejoice
So do hope, but be ready for the worse

Alireza Manzour
13.10.2014

Class of 2014

For every commencing and greeting, there is bound to be good bye
And I know I will say this in the years to come with such a sigh,

For I’ll never forget the junior class of twenty fourteen
For they were a class of such love, so caring and yet sometimes mean

I’ll remember the first day I entered the class of science two
They were so warm and friendly, yet noisy and a bit naughty too

I can still remember the first day in class with my sweet Yuki
Sitting all peaceful in class smiling so sarcastically at me

I remember last year when we had that painful public speaking?
How Amanda rocked premarital and Chu Shen swayed so chilling!

Remember when Cameraman Leon brought his lethal guns for speech?
Brendan forgot his lines, but then managed to finish with a reach

How could I forget those Lit classes with Ezekiel and 'Earnest'?
Those days with Caesar, Oberon, Kellers, Silas and the Tempest

The best day came when we went out to watch Gatsby at twin towers
Nando’s, Popcorn,  tears at the end with Leonardo’s Lenses

Newspaper Projects and then those Esther talks and the interviews
Yih Wei forever laughter and the day her tears broke my fuse

And who could forget scorching days under the hot sun that could kill?
When my coaching of the Helang football team lost seven to nil

And the day I raced Harrith, Caleb, Chris and master Yip Nigel
When Joshua crushed me down bad twenty-one to twelve in a nut shell

But I’ll never forget my lovely Lydia who's always there to see
The day my wrist was in plaster and she took that photo of me

And how can I forget my handsome charming Maeson, the usher?
And, the vibrant violinist, Chris who is a poor defender

And who could forget that steaming Debating day?
When later Nadia pwned me in class with such a sway

And, oh my God, the day Sarah stood strong for her love in class
Cracked and smashed the pedestal I stood on like sheer glass

And that late afternoon with my forever Vira in class
When her Beyonce brought down my tears like tinted glass

I will never forget you Savira for the biggest heart that you have inside
Sobbing in tears she told me, 'Ali, you're a fine dad' and that changed the tide

And those late afternoons in Lit class with Ilyana and the Puck
Trying to come up with an ending to Sophiya's love life with little luck

And that glorious day when Oh Wah Dat accepted my modest plea
We raced like rats in the pool, all watching, and I lost so miserably

And how can I forgive my commrades Eshmael, Haziq and Ibrahim
Though we lost way, had Roti Canai, slept half way, and came last in a grim

And my prosecutor Amy Kato always complaining for her mark
Not knowing she had always been my secret favorite in the dark

And how can I forget the words of Wong Kar Kei, truly my finest
She'll be a 'Star' writer with words that are strong yet never biased

And how can I forget my teacher and mentor the kind, cunning Kristen
She's a genius, I just know she’ll end up as some lawyer in Princeton

But there is one lady above all, I’ll remember forever
For she defined determination, hard work and true endeavor

For she was the one whom I learnt to respect and admire the most
For she was the one who stood up for her beliefs, never left her post

For she was the one who lead students in class and perfects in school
For she always pulled herself together in trouble, yet kept so damn cool

For she was wise in class, criticized me with every chance she had
For she was the first who cheered me up when I was upset and sad

For I’ll remember her ever blooming smiles on those rainy Malaysian days
For she showed me how to be happy, hopeful in many different ways

For she is none other than our one and only, Annie Liew
The one I wanted to say, ‘Hey..., I’m so gonna miss you’

I wish you and the rest of the class nothing but the very best
I hope you’ll succeed, be prosperous in life with its hidden test

Don’t forget each other in coming days, months and years to come
We made endless memories, more to come in our upcoming prom

I’ll never forget you, my dear friends, for as long as I teach
For you brought the sheer magic to our school and what we preach

God bless you my dear Cempakans in the life you’re about to embark
Keep in touch, fall in love, fly high, reach for the stars and never be afraid of the dark

Alireza Manzour
29th April 2014

Death of a Diva

Yesterday, the world awkwardly celebrated the so-called Women's Day while centuries have passed and still the western world is confused with its masculine ego driven by ignorance and fed by arrogance and long dated male supremacy; no matter how hard they try. 

Hollywood was first in the frontline to release its latest blockbuster mayhem of madness just hours before March 8th dawned to show just how they are still "bloody" committed to feminism and women rights in their new movie 300: rise of an empire serving as the sequel to the earlier version of an even worse distortion of history that this time was supposed to narrate the tale a true "lady" who lead the Persian Army against the dispersed tribes of Greece and defeated them marking what 21st century could and should see as an example of a nation who was so well advanced in culture that had a young  woman as its army general, leading soldiers in combat against savage villagers of the time who only knew how to subjugate and prosecute women for not only their uncivilized era, but for centuries to follow that is ever stained in our history from treating women as mere child-bearers, during the rule of Louis XIV and his Filles du Roi to senseless scavenging excuse for a human hunt of witchcraft throughout half a millennium in two different continents.

Noam Murro, the amateur director of the film, following the footstep of his mentor Zack Snyder who pioneered the franchise collaborating this time around as the producer with his wife Deborah and their oddly, yet rightly named film company Cruel and Unusual Films, in this sequel, had a hard time ending the movie since not only the plot was ridiculously crooked with little complication or characterization except for the "tyrannical blood thirsty Persians who were just pure evil and nothing more" and the "freedom loving" Greeks who fought fiercely and bravely against all impossible odds, typical western superhero material, and surprisingly won almost every single battle except for the one history actually has clear records for, downplayed tactfully, being the fall of Athens that got little reception in the plot filled and spewed with little dialogue or a decent narrative, nothing but bloody scenes in stylish gore that left half the audience in revolt and disgust that Joe Neumaier of the New York Daily News courteously calls it "an ashen video game" safely giving it one out of five stars in the weekly review.

Nonetheless, what strikes me is how could the West who knows little about human rights let alone women's rights and its history from the Roman gladiators who provided entertainment through the slaughter of slaves, to the Vikings who were infamous for their savagery and bloodshed, to the insatiable thirst of its monks and masons who falsely accused innocent women of witchcraft, to their King Henry VIII of England who beheaded two of his unfortunate not four ;) but six wives, both convicted with fabricated evidences of adultery, to the physical torture and prosecution of suffragettes only decades ago, now trying to lecture the East on women rights. It is no surprise that the only surprise they could come up with on celebrating 8th of March, Women's day, would be a mere mockery of one of Persia's bravest women generals, Artemisia, who brought the male dominated Greek tribes down to their knees and was the living example of women bravery and courage. 

Ironically, Zack who wrote the screenplay himself, still claiming that the movie is solely fiction basing it on Frank Miller's inconveniently unpublished graphic novel distorts facts and history and ends the uncomfortably dragging plot by bringing the Persian Diva Artemisia down to her knees, which historically never happened, in the last scene of the movie, in a desperate attempt to provide the plot with some conclusion, portraying the Greek General Themistokles standing "manly" victorious looking down his sweaty six abs as Artemisia falls "femininely" down to her knees. Sadly, it is the best ending the West could come up with to such a contradicting tale, an absolute hysteria, leaving the East to wonder, with such male adrenaline still pumping and running on its heated chest and through its ignorantly arrogant veins, how could the West ever claim that it has left behind, its male madness. 

Alireza Manzour

09.03.2014

Flora

Friday dawn, the fortnight shall come for us to meet
Arrive at Grand hall, in air fall, and drop in feet

Through glass walls, I'll see that beautiful smile of yours
Walking to you, opening all those daunting doors

The daring day shall come for us to hold in hands
Lay down on the shore where I write your name on sands

Twilight time will twinkle the sparkle in your eyes
Those diamonds glitter like the sun longing to rise

Morning sky shall shine,  we're up to climb mounts so high
Where I kneel in snow white, and ask for us to tie

The moment will come for us to gaze, dive and drown
Dreaming you're my queen and kingdom, wearing the crown

Sunset brings that golden heart, on your chest, a gift
The token is our love, so we may never drift

The night shall fall and so I'll hold you in my arms
I'll promise to love you, forever safe, no harms

I'll be the sword, your soldier, castle is our home
Our throne is glory, eternal, bright like the Dome

Days will pass, seasons fall, years go by, so we age
Our story goes chapters never reach the last page

For I have hope, we're truly destined as one
You're the blossom, the flower, my Flora, like none

Alireza Manzour
December 13, 2013