a one-horse town
August 2005 Malaysia
Bangun-Bangun
Wake up, now four fifteen; then I
check light and colour of the sky,
alarm clock, late, blasts out its cry.
Pakaian-Pakaian
Canary shorts, shirt, pale pink,
gorgeous... no, that, you mustn’t think,
no follower of fashion kink.
Minum-minum
Hot chocolate, biscuit put away,
use bathroom, toothpaste, toothbrush play,
postpone my shave till warm, hooray.
Keluar-keluar
Curtain pull back, French window click,
mosquito net, hard padlock pick,
no light yet on morning’s wick.
Pergi-pergi
Plots quiet, empty, silent palm,
U turn, hospital hygiene charm,
by the wall, just sidelights, calm.
Tenggu-tunggu
Esso lonesome taxis hope,
motorbike morning shift elope,
passengers take light bags, can cope.
By the trishaw-waiting tree,
the bus lets off the two or three
who hold a Kuala Dungun key.
Esso sign and pumps glow bright,
big coaches flex their engine might
from Kuala Lumpur through the night.
Through Gombak, Karak, up they go
through Mentakab and Temerloh
and Kuantan’s runway lighting row.
To chalet, palm tree, East Coast where
take nasi minyak morning fare
from macik stall of hot tea air.
Tourist turtles lay by night,
depart before the morning light,
in high beach holes, white eggs pack tight.
Under a moonlit sky I wait,
watch loafer with pre-coffee mate,
the lights change from go, to bait.
Tenggok-tenggok
A young Malay, with dignity,
walks to the car in front of me,
her uncle, or old man, maybe.
Mari-mari
A bus pulls up, and they alight
by hospital’s own traffic light
of little use throughout the night.
Harri front, Mum in the rear,
homeward bound, two minutes near,
engage in talk, engage first gear.
Balik-balik
Washing’s on/full/wash/press/bleep,
Mum’s off to bed to catch up sleep,
the dawn begins its ceaseless creep.
In the fan-cool room we liaison,
then she’s back to where the sleep had gone,
I go to switch the shower on.
