By Wafa Awla
I was nine years old, still in a pink uniform counting and arranging various kinds of books at my school library. That was the time I engaged myself with many types of reading materials; fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi stories, literature and many more. Becoming a librarian, I started to acknowledge a liking for books as one of my favourite hobbies and books have become my best friend. I felt so bad for hiding several books from others to borrow them so that no one else could read until I finished reading them.
Unlike many people, Enid Blytons books were not my early reading materials during my childhood. It was a small accident when I was assigned to stack books when I came across a selection of thick books and it happened to be a collection of poems and short stories of Sasterawan Negara (National Laureate).
Until today, there are 13 writers who have received the title of Sasterawan Negara. The literary award is the highest of its kind given to honour writers in Malaysia and Usman Awang was the first recipient.
I have read a poem by Usman Awang entitled Ke Makam Bonda (To Mothers Mortuary) which is so touching.
Dalam kenangan kami melihat
Mesra kasih bonda menatap
Sedang lena dalam rahap
Dua tangan kaku mendakap
This poem is about a son who visited his mother’s grave and suddenly reminded himself of memories with his mother when she was alive. Not long after that, I have been told that the poem has been sung in a rhythm by this group named UNIC.
I started to feel that understanding poetry is something special more than just a rhythm. Reading poetry is like travelling to another world that is so intriguing.
Reading poem is one of the ways to escape ourselves from this clamorous life. You will be surprised by reading the fascinating words that are filled with emotion and somehow you feel like the author understands exactly what is in your mind and how you feel.
Until now, I admire those people who can write poem. They are the ones who are filled with mystery. They seem to have magic in their hand and mind. They are different and unique with their own way in seeing things.
If they write about nature, they are capable of describing it so beautifully which is different from the way we see it. They dont see rain as rain. They see rain as cloud like children who cry for missing their mother.
If they are writing about people, you can feel it as if they are telling you the story face-to-face. The pain, love, sadness and loneliness that everybody is faced with throughout life are real.
They give colour in people. They can elaborate about people’s eyes in paragraphs. Reading poems sometimes is like playing puzzle that needs us to guess what is actually in the writers’ mind while writing those poems. You will feel stunt with philosophical ideas of writers.
If you are having a bad day or if you feel like theres no one in the world who would understand you, or perhaps you need time for yourself, I suggest you read any poem. You may come across several names like Yeats, Neruda, Fitzgerald, Rumi, M Aan Mansyur, or someone who you may have no idea who she or he is. After that, be ready because you are going to see everything in a very completely new way.
You will be surprised to discover a new side of you.
Maybe you are a living poetry. ***