By Bibsy Soenharjo

He had such quiet eyes

She did not realise

They were two pools of lies

Layered with thinnest ice

To her, those quiet eyes

Were breathing desolate sighs

Imploring her to be nice

And to render him paradise

The woman was captured by his ‘quiet eyes’. However, she

failed to read the truth in his eyes because it is ‘layered with thinnest ice’. To her, his eyes

‘were breathing desolate sighs’ (he is lonely). The eyes finally succeed in begging her to ‘be nice’

to him and give him ‘paradise’ (happiness).

If only she’d been wise

And had listened to the advice

Never to compromise

With pleasure-seeking guys

She’d be free from “the hows and whys”

The woman refused to listen to the poet’s advice ‘never to compromise’. She fell for

the ‘pleasure-seeking guys’. If only she listened to the advice, she would not be in

the problems (“the hows and whys”).

Now here’s a bit of advice

Be sure that nice really means nice

Then you’ll never be losing at dice

Though you may lose your heart once or twice

In the end, the poet tries to give another advice. A woman should

confirm that the man is sincere ‘be sure that nice really means nice’. Love

is just like the game of ‘dice’. It’s all about chance, she may lose once or twice, but one day she will find her

true love.

See through

the surface

Have self-respect

Listen to advice

Learn to look out for

hidden motives in men who want to befriend with you.

Do not lower your expectations, demands

or standards to

get someone to

like or accept you.

Appreciate that people have good

intentions when

they give advice.

Place: It is happening all over the world

Time: It is happening all the time

Third person point of view.

The poet tells the reader a story of a girl through a poem. The used of pronouns “he” and “she” also indicates that this poem is viewed by the third person.

Example:

He had such a quiet eyesShe did not realise…

The poet uses a gentle tone in the poem.Even though she is cheated by a man,

she did not use any harshness in her tone.

The poet maintains a calm mood as she narrates and comments, and she ends

her poem by giving her advice in a friendly and well-meaning way.

Be careful in a relationship

Don’t be too easy to believe in someone

Think carefully before making decision

The End