MORE POEMS BY ZURINAH HASSAN, MALAYSIA

after 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.

in order to really be ourselves.

I cannot bear to face

the truth of your pen

the pain and horror of slavery

the vengeance in your writing

must art and it's beauty

always be born out of loneliness

and misery?

CENTRAL MARKET(Where they all wait)

I often see him

sitting on the benches of Central Market

watching passers by

or gazing into nowhere

waiting to be inspired

with a few poetic lines.

Singing his lyric

he waits on

will someone come today to rescue him

from boredom

and unemployment.

He waits on at Central Market

overlooking Dayabumi

he heard they are building images

is he suffering 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

thank you Dayabumi

for making this wait less unbearable

without you

I could have turned into a rebel".