TO BE A POET

Writing poetry has been in my life for a long, long time. I write poetry in Bahasa Melayu @ Malay language (my mother tongue). I started writing at the age of sixteen  when I was still in the Form 3 at St Thomas's School, Kuching. Earlier than that I did write pantun and was published in a magazine called Perintis (back in 1968 or so).

          My first poem was published in a local Bahasa Melayu Newspaper, Utusan Sarawak in 1969 under the title 'SATE TETAP NUNGGU'  or in English " Satay Will Be Waiting. Motivated by the publishing of the poem I kept on writing and in 1971 my poem was published by Dewan sastera , a national magazine on literature.

          Why poetry? Why do we write poetry? I think by wriiting poetry I am able to talk to the world a large. I am saying what is in my mind. What I think of the world and it's surroundings, the people, the love, the forest flora and fauna. Writing poetry keeps me feeling young and energetic and always at high spirit.

        Poetry taught people to understand the feeling, to appreciate the world and to love. Poetry is the language of loving. Some said poetry is a weapon but I said poetry is a flower given as a sign of love. The words of poetry are the words of compassion, loving and not hatred and bickerings. 

        Oh how I love to see poetry came to be loved by everybody and I hope one day, in the near future poetry would play its rolls for the better world of tomorrow.

 Reciting an anthology NUZENTARA by a poet friend, Mohd Farez

enjoying a poem and a roti canai: Mary Hayati Lam, Saiee Driss, Capt Mohd Saiful

Dr Kamil Salem engrossed with his gadget, looking on  Noor Aishah Salleh and mary Hayati Lam

 Encik Japri Bujang from Pustaka Negeri Sarawak with his copy of Sanjak Si Renta

 a copy of Sanjak Si Renta for a friend

 Sarawak's own poet, Maslina Mahbu reciting a poem

 Prize giving to the champion of poem recital