AFTER
WATCHING ALEX HALEY’S ROOTS
WATCHING ALEX HALEY’S ROOTS
.”He still wanted to be Kunta Kinte
even after he was called Toby
again he was tortured
and pain was too high a price
for him to bear
and don’t we all have
a price to pay.
a price to pay.
in order to really be ourselves.
I
cannot bear to face
cannot bear to face
the
truth of your pen
truth of your pen
the pain and
horror of slavery
horror of slavery
the vengeance in
your writing
your writing
must art and it’s
beauty
beauty
always be born out of loneliness
and misery?
Instant Flood
Sungai Klang and Sungai Gombak said:
“You were born out of our mating
But you grew out of hand”
“The load of your growth
laid heavy on our body”
“Are you forgetting us, your parent
as we lie quiet and patient
only after a heavy rain
we rise up
to demand attention
AT THE CENTRAL MARKET
(Where
the unemployed wait)
the unemployed wait)
I
often see him
often see him
sitting on the benches of Central Market
watching passers
by
by
or gazing into
nowhere
nowhere
waiting to be
inspired
inspired
with
a few poetic lines.
a few poetic lines.
Singing
his lyric
his lyric
he waits on
will someone come today to
rescue him
rescue him
from boredom
and
unemployment.
unemployment.
He waits on at Central Market
overlooking Dayabumi
he heard they are building images
is
he suffering the reality?
he suffering the reality?
But as he take refuge
on the cool mosaic
or soothe his forhead
by the fountain side
washing away the thought
of the nagging mother
the noisy squatter area
he says,
“Thank you
Central Market
Central Market
thank you Dayabumi
for making this wait less unbearable
without
you
you
I
could have turned into a rebel”.
could have turned into a rebel”.
Clearing Kuala
Lumpur of Beggars
Lumpur of Beggars
The city is
refusing you
refusing you
and life had rejected you
so what are you waiting
for, old man?
Perhaps it’s too
painful
painful
to talk about the
past
past
the journey had soiled your feet
that you’re now forbidden
to walk on the sparkling marble
of this clean city
So what is there
to wait for
to wait for
they have come to take you away
to a better shelter
or is it for the sake of the city’s image
that’s of course far more important
that your feeling about giving in
and the pain of surrendering
Are you still here
looking for sympathy
and for the waiting
that
give a little meaning
give a little meaning
to
living.
Bukit
Nanas
living.
Bukit
Nanas
You’re
left at a corner
left at a corner
to
witness Kuala Lumpur changing its face
witness Kuala Lumpur changing its face
building and developing
like the hungry waves
threatening
to swallow you
to swallow you
That I Lived Once
Walking beneath the lights
with the mountains on my left
an the ocean on my right
my feeling high
above a pile of
songs.
songs.
My song embracing
the beach
the beach
vibrating in rhythm with the
waves
waves
shaken by the greeting of a fisherman
soaked in the salty ocean
shattered by the
tears.
tears.
Among the tall buildings
its breath choked
in the sweat of
labourers
labourers
and suffocated
children of the slums.
children of the slums.
Climbing the mountains
jungles
and lonely peaks
await.
await.
The songs of the oceans
cities and mountains
in my breath
will be the
testimony
testimony
that
I have once been here.
I have once been here.
Bukit
Nanas
please
leave a dew drop
leave a dew drop
to
clear our eyes
clear our eyes
from
city dirts
city dirts
you have been entrusted by nature
to take care of its children.
POETRY READING AT UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA, PAHANG.
POETRY READING AT MBA LIBRARY, BANGKOK THAILAND, IN CONJUNCTION WITH DECLARATION OF BANGKOK AS BOOK CAPITAL AND CELEBRATION OF 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEAWRITE AWARDS.
