For World Poetry Day 2021, FMT asked Malaysian poets to share some of their work that draws upon what the past 12 months has meant to them, and how the events of the last year affected their lives.
Slam champ
Umar Abdul Aziz, 27, is a writer, performer, teacher and organiser from Selangor. He was the Slam Champ at the Straits Slam competition and placed in the top six at Malaysia’s first National Poetry Slam in 2018.
He is currently working with other poets to develop Baloh!, a poetry debate format for spoken word poets.
“The movement control orders have had us be isolated, but also connected, and with it brought a new set of ways to interact with the world around us. More idle time is found and yet we barely have time for anything.”
All
Wedding halls but pelamins are empty
Vendor stalls selling wares cari SOP
Restaurants running via Riders riding
More food on the roads, streets still go hungry
Merentas desa unlikely unless bipedal
Eleanor Rigbies
Wearing masks
that they keep in a box by the door
Asking what for?
All the MCOs
Asking what for?
When fingers thornier than bramble fences
Scramble to fell every new digital demon
In handheld mirrors
Will we thrive another year of this?
Asking what for?
You can find more of his work here: https://umar-azizi.itch.io/
MINDFUL BY DESIGN
Hanna Anuar, 25, is an advertising graduate and a freelance graphic designer from Ampang. She draws inspiration from the world around her and the music she listens to.
“This pandemic year has forced me, like a lot of people, into isolation. This gave me plenty of time to reflect and learn about myself. I’m still learning to communicate better, and I feel like I’ve been making some progress recently. This poem is a note to self, to be more mindful of how I handle things emotionally.”
How do you get by?
I don’t mean to pry,
But how do you get by?
I know the stars don’t care for our recurring nightmares
But do you still seek yourself in the night sky?
Do you hide in between shadows away from the sun flares?
Or fall asleep to a lullaby?
Tell me, how do you get by?
Find more of her visual work at: https://koopseni.com/giralka/
TOUGH LESSONS
Ili Norizan, 32, is a copywriter from Selangor, but poetry has always been her escape, and she hopes to one day see her work on bookshelves “everywhere”.
“This is a piece reflecting on my 2020, the year I learned about the greatest loss and many other tough lessons.”
The Year That Shall Not Be Named
You thought it would be 10-10 times
fun to the power of two but it’s a mess,
Stuck indoors,
Stress-eating through every press
configuring a new norm
that had you depressed,
Work more, no rest,
Forget about that pay raise,
Help yourself to your i-Sinar,
All the best
living your life in fear
of anti-vaxxer and denda
because you’re marhaen je,
So lek lu pape roger,
Eh no longer a line you hear
because bilanya
this abcdefghijklMCO will be over?
More of her work can be found @artiliry on Instagram.
LEGAL EAGLE
Zhee Qi, 23, is a law student and an advocate for environmental issues from Selangor. Aside from poetry, she also has a passion for photography. “The pandemic has forced many of us into the routine of online classes and working from home, so this poem looks to capture the feelings of isolation that it brings.”
escape? error 404: not found
today morning
and every morning
there is no escape from these walls
nor the routine of sitting in front of the glowing screen
and i might just suffocate
from the sound of the fan, whirling
because time has been moving differently
for a while now
and your voice was cracking up over the line
but so was i
my voice was breaking up
as i fall apart within these four walls of mine.
Find more of her work at @treepokok on Twitter and @pokokjelita on Instagram
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