He Had Such Quiet Eyes by

Bibsy Soenharjo

He had such quiet eyes

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She did not realise
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They were two pools of lies
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Layered with thinnest ice
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To her, those wuiet eyes
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Were breathing desolate sighs
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Imploring her to be nice
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And to render him paradise
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If only shed been wise
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And had listened to the advice
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Never to compromise
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With pleasure-seeking guys
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Shed be free from the hows and
whys ___________________________________________

Now heres a bit of advice ___________________________________________

Be sure that nice really nice ___________________________________________

Then youll never be losing at dice ___________________________________________

Though you lose your heart once or ___________________________________________

twice
 IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP
Latiff Othman

At dawn they returned home

their soaky clothes torn ___________________________________________
and approached the stove ___________________________________________
their limbs marked by scratches ___________________________________________
their legs full of wounds ___________________________________________
but on their brows ___________________________________________
there was not a sign of despair ___________________________________________

The whole day and night just passed ___________________________________________

they had to brave the horrendous flood ___________________________________________

in the water all the time ___________________________________________

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between bloated carcasses
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and tiny chips of tree barks
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desperately looking for their sons
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albino buffalo that was never found
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They were born amidst hardship
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and grew up without a sigh or a
complaint
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now they are in the kitchen, making
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jokes while rolling their cigarettes leaves
Nature by H.D. Carberry

We have neither Summer nor Winter

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Neither Autumn nor Spring.
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We have instead the days
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When the gold sun shines on the lush
green canefields-
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Magnificently.
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The days when the rain beats like
bullet on the roofs
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And there is no sound but thee swish
of water in the gullies
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And trees struggling in the high
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Jamaica winds.
Also there are the days when leaves
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fade from off guango trees
And the reaped canefields lie bare and
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fallow to the sun.
But best of all there are the days
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when the mango and the logwood
blossom
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When bushes are full of the sound of
bees and the scent of honey,
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When the tall grass sways and shivers
to the slightest breath of air,
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When the buttercups have paved the
earth with yellow stars
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And beauty comes suddenly and the
rains have gone.
 Time is forcing us, as artists
Are You Still Playing Your Flute? by To live outside ourselves.
Zurinah Hassan
Are you still playing your flute? _____________________________________________
When there is hardly time for our love _____________________________________________
I am feeling guilty _____________________________________________
To be longing for your song _____________________________________________
The melody concealed in the slim hollow of _____________________________________________
the bamboo _____________________________________________
Uncovered by the breath of an artist _____________________________________________
Composed by his fingers _____________________________________________
Blown by the wind _____________________________________________
To the depth of my heart.
_____________________________________________
Are you still playing your flute? _____________________________________________
In the village so quiet and deserted _____________________________________________
Amidst the sick rice fields _____________________________________________
While here it has become a luxury _____________________________________________
To spend time watching the rain _____________________________________________
Gazing at the evening rays _____________________________________________
Collecting dew drops _____________________________________________
Or enjoying the fragrance of flowers.
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Are you still playing your flute? _____________________________________________
The more it disturbs my conscience _____________________________________________
to be thinking of you _____________________________________________
in the hazard of you _____________________________________________
my younger brothers unemployed and _____________________________________________
desperate _____________________________________________
my people disunited by politics _____________________________________________
my friend slaughtered mercilessly
this world is too old and bleeding. _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Is this the end of our love _____________________________________________
He Had Such Quiet Eyes Agar tidak kecundang dalam
by Bibsy Soenharjo mengharungi hidup
Walaupun akan kecewa
Matanya menyimpan rahsia beberapa kali
Dia tidak sedar
Bahawa ia merupakan kolam
yang penuh dengan penipuan
Dilapisi dengan ais yang nipis _____________________________________________
Pada dia, mata itu _____________________________________________

Menghela nafas kesepian

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Yang memujuknya agar
lembut
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Dan menurut kehendaknya _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Kalau dia bijak _____________________________________________

Dan mendengar nasihat yang _____________________________________________

diberi
Jangan bergaul
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Dengan lelaki yang suka _____________________________________________
berfoya _____________________________________________
Tentunya dia akan bebas dari _____________________________________________

masalah
_____________________________________________

Dengar nasihat ini sekarang

Pastikan baik itu benar baik _____________________________________________
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 mereka dilahirkan di dalam
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kesusahan
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dan membesar tanpa keluh
kesah
In The Midst Of Hardship by
sekarang mereka di dapur,
Latiff Mohidin
bergurau sambil menggulung
daun rokok
Menjelang fajar mereka kembali
dengan baju basah dan koyak rabak
terus menghampiri dapur
lengan dipenuhi calar
kaki dipenuhi luka
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tetapi raut wajah
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langsung tiada menggambarkan
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kedukaan
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Sehari semalam berlalu
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mereka terpaksa meredah banjir
bergelindang dalam air
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sepanjang masa
dipertengahan mayat yang
_________________________________________
terapung
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dan cebisan batang kayu yang
_________________________________________
patah
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terdesak untuk mencari kerbau
_________________________________________
balau
kepunyaan anak mereka yang
tidak pernah dijumpai
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 untuk melayani rasa rindu padamu
di kota yang semakin kusut dan tenat
_________________________________________
adik-adikku menganggur dan sakit jiwa
_________________________________________
bangsaku dipecahkan oleh politik
_________________________________________
Saudara diserang bom-bom ganas
Dunia sudah terlalu tua dan parah
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Di sinikah berakhirnya percintaan kita
Kerana zamam sedang menuntut para
Are You Still Playing Your Fulte seniman
by Zainal Hassan Hidup di luar dirinya
Masihkah kau bermain seruling?
Walaupun waktu telah terlewat untuk kita
bercinta _________________________________________________
Aku semakin terasa bersalah _________________________________________________
Melayani godaan irama _________________________________________________
Lagu yang tersimpan pada rongga halus _________________________________________________
buluh _________________________________________________
Dikeluarkan oleh nafas seniman _________________________________________________
Diatur oleh jari _________________________________________________
Dilayangkan oleh alun angina _________________________________________________
Menolak ke dasar rasa _________________________________________________

Masihkah kau bermain seruling? _________________________________________________

Ketika kampong semakin sunyi _________________________________________________
Sawah telah uzur _________________________________________________
Waktu jadi terlalu mahal _________________________________________________
Untuk memerhatikan hujan turun _________________________________________________
Merenung jalur senja _________________________________________________
Mengutip manik embun _________________________________________________
Menghidu harum bunga _________________________________________________

Masihkah kau bermain seruling? _________________________________________________

Ketika aku terasa mata bersalah _________________________________________________
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