THE TAME OLD RIVER
At the mouth of Dungun River, picture taken from http://whassan.blogspot.my/2010/07/scenic-kuala-dungun-terengganu.html?m=1
The Tame Old River
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At the Dungun River mouth
the water only stirs quietly
never grumbling but only slurring
And the fishing boats
afraid of the angry sea outside
rest protected
The river, dirty and full of sediment,
but looks so clean and tempting from afar
seems not flowing at all
The water dances with ripples like little waves
bubbling playfully onto the tired fishing boats
The opposite bank teems with flourishing growth of nature
parading herself proudly to show her beauty
Patches of shining yellow here and there
reflect the rays of the evening sun
while deeper shades of green and blue
give the vegetation forms and life
And shabby attap houses stand on stilts
just above the muddy water-line
The river mingles unconsciously with the sea
And the water knows no demarcation
no finishing nor starting line
And the attap houses above the water
merge easily into the sandy shore
The sea outside is angry
fearless and young
fed with life from the tame old river
On the other side just outside the banks
huge roaring waves that have been formed
far out the shore
lash in noisily
The monsoon wind from behind
drives the waves and gives them frightening force
The waves outside are hungry
They will break and eat up the fishing boats
The fishermen are wise
Their boats rest protected within the tame old river
Afraid of the angry sea
27th January 1967, Dungun
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