The Seat Beside Mine

 

The chair beside mine scraped softly one Monday,

Just after morning assembly ended that day.

A boy walked in with rain still on his shirt,

And placed his bag down gently on the desk’s soft skirt.

The fan above us turned - in a slow steady sound,

While sunlight spread quietly across the classroom ground.

I stayed silent as he found his place,

And the room slowly learned his unfamiliar face.

 

By midweek we shared rulers during Maths class,

And laughed at mistakes that happened too fast.

He sketched small rockets at the edge of his page,

While I folded paper planes in a quiet lesson stage.

At recess we moved through the crowded canteen line,

Carrying drinks while waiting patiently in time.

The seat beside mine no longer felt so new,

Just a quiet space where small moments grew.

 

During group work I lost the thread of the task,

While others finished faster than I could ask.

He pointed softly to where I should begin,

And stayed beside me without making it a win.

The teacher called for answers from our row,

My hands grew still; I did not want to go.

He slid his book a little closer to me,

And suddenly the work became easier to see.

Now the seat beside mine is never just a place,

It carries small moments we shared in this space.

Some days are noisy, some days feel slow,

But sitting beside him feels like I already know.

We do not say much when the lessons begin,

Yet somehow the day feels lighter within.

And when I look at that seat by my side,

I know good company is quietly there to guide

Awan Kata-Kata

Semalam kau marah sekali

Seperti biasa, setiap kali darah mu naik ke kepala maka kata-kata mu menebal seperti awan saat hari mahu hujan

Berat, gelap, penuh halilintar

Aku biasa dengan awan kata-kata sebegitu

Ayah ku juga begitu

Setiap marahnya membawa ribut ke seisi rumah

Tapi meski biasa, hatiku masih menangis

Meski biasa

Kebal yang aku sangka,  hanya tingkah, bukan rasa

Tubuh aku mula sejuk, mata mula menangis

Awan katamu menjerut hatiku

Kau sebut benci dan jengkel 

Kau kata aku punahkan percaya, aku seperti maling

Aduh! Sampai hati!

Makin aku ingat, makin lebat hujan ini

Mengapa tidak mampu kau lembutkan katamu?

Bukankah sayang itu hadir bersamanya kelembutan?

Atau sayangmu jua seperti hujan tidak jadi?

Atau aku memang selayaknya dimarahi begitu?

Awan kata-kata mu penuh halilintar

dan aku sudah terbakar

Nama Yang Ku Kirim Ke Mekah

Jika ada yang bertanya kepada mu

Apa benar aku mencintai kamu

Maka sewajibnya kamu jawab 

Iya! Benar sekali!

Jika ada yang menjuihkan bibirnya sambil berkata

Apa buktinya?

Maka harus kau pekik kepada mereka

Dia menghantar namaku ke Mekah

Ya!

Aku telah menghantar namamu ke Mekah

Aku kirimkan dalam lipatan doa 

Yang dilafazkan sahabat-sahabatku di Jabal Rahmah

Sebegitu aku mencintai kamu

Meski aku tahu bahawa kamu sendiri ragu akan cintamu pada aku

Hiba sekali hati ini

Bila makbulnya doa itu bukan seperti yang aku tuliskan 

Tuhan memberitahu alam agar mencurahkan banjir di hati kita

Supaya cair pekat nafsu asmara

Jika sesekali kamu tertanya adakah benar aku mencintai kamu

Maka aku ingin sekali menyatakan sambil ku usap pipi mu

Ya! Aku benar mencintai kamu

Hingga ku bawa namamu dalam doa ku.

A Grumpy Old Singh

 There's a grumpy old Singh who lives in the city

In a double storey house next to a playground

Where tired shoplots look up to gleaming buildings

and the roads choke on traffic

This grumpy old Singh is a delicate being

"You cannot do this, you cannot do that"

"You should do this, you should do that"

And somehow

"I cannot do this, I cannot do that"

O grumpy old Singh!

I wonder why you are so grumpy

Have you had your roti?

 Or was the masala too hot today?

Ah! I see! 

Work is pricking your sole again, isn't it?

Dear grumpy old Singh

Don't you find it funny? 

When one who hates being controlled 

Ends up sounding controlling?

Oh I forgot! 

Mirrors always show your own reflection