adakah?

membaca gurindam bernada sayu,
indah tulisan bagaikan permata,
adakah menjadi tidak melayu,
jika tidak berbicara bahasa?

datang si anak dari pedalaman,
datang tidak membawa buah tangan,
adakah sudah lupa daratan,
jika hendak mengubah pikiran?

tiada berwang, si anak teruna,
maka pulanglah ke kampung halaman,
adakah menjadi anak buangan,
jika bernikahkan gadis perantauan?

sudah dapati tiada berjaya,
maka kiaslah kais dan makan,
adakah betul si anak derhaka,
jika pada tuannya ia melawan?

sedangkan sudah segala dicuba,
sekarang cuma menanti balasan,
adakah betul pemimpin sentiasa,
jika rakyat sentiasa kelaparan?

tiada hasil, teruna berbalah,
dengan bapanya di kampung pinggiran,
adakah sesiapa patut disalah,
jika sekalian dalam kerugian?

ke muara sekali bersampan, sia-sia,
terlanjur sudah ke tengah lautan
adakah layak digelar manusia,
jika kan hidup dalam sendirian?

sesat bersama menampung berat,
sesat seorang di bulan purnama,
adakah bermaksud pantun empat kerat,
jika tiada sesiapa membaca?

going through my old stuff, i found this poem that i wrote who-knows-when. i found it flattering that i actually remember what it's about, and in context of when i wrote it, i was surprised to find that my thoughts have not changed that much.

the gist of the poem is questioning various issues; from the prejudice of gender, race, religion, skin colour and language; to the moral bankruptcy of positions of power (at the time and even moreso now, a government [which we shall not name], but also various other little napoleons). the poem ends with questioning the writer's intent (that's me!) of writing when such things cannot be changed with words, and whether we would be better off being fatalistic, or trying to change. i don't know which i believe in, now.

also, the first two lines of each stanza tell a metaphoric tale of person (son) venturing against tradition, only to fall from grace. he then has a fall out with his father, resulting in his leaving from home, only to be lost (out in sea) from which there is no turning back.

the last two lines read literally, and can be simple posed questions.

oh, and i believe that at this point in time, i was not in the fashion of using a couplet to end my (bad) poetry, unlike how i prefer to now. obviously i'd like to think that it's more complex than that, but yeah, that's pretty much all there is to it.