rain rain

since its raining heavily here in Ireland, it just reminds me of the monsoon history poem that I learnt back in secondary school. It is rainy season in Malaysia right now especially in north east of the peninsular. yeah I do drink milo looking at the rain that pouring down the city, the grey sky, the damp mood of the house. feels good I love rain

Monsoon History

The air is wet,

Soaks bring up into mattresses,

And curls in apparitions of smoke.

Like fat white slugs furled among the timber,

Or silver fish tunneling the damp linen covers of

schoolbooks,

Or walking

Quietly like centipedes, 

The air walking everywhere

On its hundred feet

Is filled with the glare of tropical water.

Again we are taken over by clouds and rolling darkness.

Small snails appear

Clashing their timid horns

Among the morning glory vines.

Drinking Milo,

Nyonya and baba sit at home.

This was forty years ago.

Sarong-wrapped they counted silver paper for the

dead.

Portraits of grandfathers

Hung always in the parlour.

Reading Tennyson, at six p.m. in pajamas,

Listening to down-pouring rain: 

The air ticks with gnats, black spiders fly,

Moths sweep out of our rooms

Where termites built their hills of eggs and queens

zoom in heat,

We wash our feet for bed,

Watch mother uncoil her snake hair,

Unbuckle the silver mesh around her waist,

Waiting for father pacing the sand as fishers pull

From the straits after monsoon. 

The air is still, silent

Like sleepers rocked in the pantun,

Sheltered by Malacca. 

This was forty years ago,

When nyonya married baba.