what love is

I dont know why
but it suddenly came to me
how time has passed so quickly
from when i was little
where i would rest my head on my mother's handbag
as she pat me to sleep..
she would ensure that it was of a comfortable height
and making no movement at all
throughout the whole bus ride

how she would buy toys for me
the moment i mentioned that i fancied it
even though it may be expensive
she'd still buy it for me

how i used to draw pictures of
all kinds of things
dinosaurs,flowers..
and i would bring it up to her proudly
as she praised my work

at times when i did something wrong
she would take this bamboo cane
and chase me around the house
sometimes,i even hid the cane
thinking i could be spared..but there was always the ruler lying around..
i could still remember times
where i screamed and said "i hate you!"
not knowing how hurtful it was to her
not knowing how painful those words were to her

whenever i fell sick
she would cook all sorts of chinese herbal medicine
checking out medical cookbooks
and traditional recipes
which always seemed to taste horribly bitter..
but id get well soon after

she would wake up in the wee hours of the morning
just to make sure that i wasn't late for school
to make sure i've got everything i needed
every single day

she was always there for me
whenever i feel sad
whenever i start to cry
she won't stop me from crying
she'd just be there telling me its alright

my dad had a different way
of showing his love for me
bringing me to places
sharing with me knowledge of plants and animals
sharing what he knew ever since he was a child
he'd bring me to pasir ris park
from the time where there were no tracks
there were no resorts
there were no streetlamps

My dad is a chef
who cooks amazing food
he'd always ask "吃饱了吗?"
and made sure i was always well fed
hes such a workaholic
refusing to take a rest
earning money for the family
no matter how tired he is

with the car of his
he'd drive me to school
drive me to anywhere in singapore
and fetch me home
whenever i gave him a call

even until now,
she still bought things for me
a new camera
knowing that im interested in photography
he still cooks
to earn a living
for this family

i wouldnt be where i am
if it wasnt for my parents
if it wasnt for their love
their sacrifice

thank you mom and dad
i love you both