Thursday, January 21, 2016

POEMS BY ZURINAH HASSAN, 23.January 2016.

These poems from my book FACING THE HARBOUR (itbm 2010).  The book has been translated into Spanish, Russian, French and Japanese.




AT THE CENTRAL MARKET

(Where the unemployed 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 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
thank you Dayabumi
for making this wait less unbearable
without you
I could have turned into a rebel".


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?



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