A THOUSAND LIES

a thousand lies
to hide the truth
that's the obvious thing to do
even for a man of religion
cover the truth
with the cloak
of the holy book
because that's what
holy books are for
since they are distorted
by politicians who claim
to be trusted theologians
even when they are aware
that one tells the lie
while the other seeks the truth
the guilty are proclaiming their innocence
with verses from the holy book
and they say we have no right to be hurt
even as they strive to hurt us even more

oh lord, shall we forgive them
even though they know what they have done?
oh lord, shall we turn the other cheek
so that they can freely slap us again?

LAM SENG FATT
Sept 2 2020

 JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL

an eye for an eye
but that's not enough
they want a pound of flesh too
the wolf has discarded
the sheep's clothing
and he is more wicked than expected
once he fought against kleptocrats
now he is the one dishing out millions
to lure the wira to hop over to the dark side
it is truly topsy-turvy treachery
they want to make the right wrong and the wrong right
it is written fair is foul and foul is fair
that has been true for thousands of years

a tooth for a tooth
but that's not enough
they want a pound of flesh too
the innocents and the righteous
rush to the barricades to defend
against the furious fusillades of filth
they stand steadfast on the moral high ground
they shall march on in the name of justice
in the name of truth, in the name of honour
with heaven on their side, they shall vanquish
the evildoers, werewolves and fallen wira
and in the final battle, justice will prevail
that too has been true for thousands of years

LAM SENG FATT
Aug 8 2020

 PIECES OF SILVER

thirty pieces of silver for a pot of gold
that is a fair exchange, so i was told

those who have values are now worthless
those who have morals are now immoral
those who are upright are now downright dirty
those who are honest are now dishonest
those who are loyal have now betrayed everyone

once they fought on the same side
now they have drawn their swords
once they were brothers-in-arms
now they are stabbing each other

dignity
  loyalty
    allegiance
      ideals
        honesty
          values
            morals
these are mere words
which are now meaningless

there is emptiness echoing in this place
and in the hearts of the pathetic people
as the herd moves aimlessly with no direction
with no hope, no aspiration, no vision
for their wira have sold their souls
for pieces of silver and a pot of gold

shall we give up...and give in?
or shall we keep on striving
to dream
       hope
          pray
for the blinding white light
at the end of the traumatic tunnel
for the noble sage of these tainted days
to restore honour, ideals and trust in us

LAM SENG FATT
Aug 5 2020

 The current political situation is getting worse and worse...

TOIL AND TURMOIL

let us face the truth
the whole thing is a farce
you are not the rightful ruler
just because you plonked yourself on the throne
when everyone was foolishly looking the other way
your people are hungry and suffering
and busy defacing the drawing of the king
a new class struggle has sprouted
among the downtrodden and forgotten masses
like a web of weeds in the garden
their tough tendrils will grow
and spread to strangle this nation
it's too late to nip things in the bud
because neglect has caused the bud to dry up
and the seeds have floated in the wind
like a virus to all corners of this land
the princelings of the earth
have realized their kings
have left them high and dry
to be serfs to till the poor soil
for small scraps of stale food
while banquets are feasted on
in the palaces of the pompous
the dry land is cracking up
the foundations of the palace
are weakening and collapsing
the fake king spews fake news
and the princelings shout:
"we were not born yesterday"
they were born a few millennia ago
to rightfully partake
of the fruit and fat of this land
the ancient man of antiquity
is busy planning a final raid
on the crumbling pathetic palace
filled with a motley crew of crooks and cronies
but time and tide will not wait for him
the people stand on the pavements
and gawk with awe and bewilderment
as the princelings rise up
and fight for what is rightfully theirs
the bomohs stir the cauldron of slimy stew
toil and turmoil, toil and turmoil
there will be terror and trouble
all is foul and nothing is fair
it is fair to be foul and foul to be fair
who will hear the anguished cries
of those desperate for normalcy?
who will ride the golden chariot
to guide us through the red sea of fire?
who will lead us to the milk and honey
promised by the founding fathers?
who will get us out of this quagmire
of deceit, deception and desperation?

LAM SENG FATT
July 23 2020

 One more poem...

RISE UP, OH MALAYSIANS

rise up, rise up, oh malaysians
don't you know you are trampled on?
wise up, wise up, oh malaysians
don't you know your wira have betrayed you?

the enemies are not at the front gate
they are in the back alley
kicking down the unguarded door
to scramble in and seize the throne

free sweets and treats
keep the masses happy
while their wise wira
grab the wealth of the land

the masses are addicted to the free mead
and want some more and some more
their wira gladly pop open bottles of ambrosia
and pour it into the mugs of the masses in need

the masses are shackled to their poverty
chained by the chants of race and religion
intoxicated by the ambrosia and mead
while their wira dance wildly in ecstasy

rise up, rise up, oh malaysians
don't you know you are trampled on?
wise up, wise up, oh malaysians
don't you know your wira have betrayed you?

Lam Seng Fatt
July 2 2020

 The creative juices flowed again.This time the poem is about Malaysia, our beloved home, which sadly is hit by a double blow - the COVID-19 lockdown and a farcical political situation. Those who lost in the previous General Elections are now in power and the situation is back to the same old kleptocratic, guilty-walk-away-free, racism on the rise (to get the votes)...sigh. I hope my poem will resonate with Malaysians and hopefully, it may bring some change. Thanks for reading.

A LAND WHERE EVIL DWELLS
(an ode to malaysia)

Let me tell you what i see
my brown-eyed son
let me tell you what i see
my innocent young one

i see a land where evil dwells
where the corrupt and the crooks
have billions in the bank
because they are victims of scams

what values should i teach you
my brown-eyed son?
what morals should i teach you
my innocent young one?

should i teach you that it's alright
to pillage and plunder this land
to rape and to maim the people
as long as you can stroll away scot-free?

tell me what lessons have you learnt
my brown-eyed son?
tell me what parables have you learnt
my innocent young one?

should a man abuse his power
to be acquitted without trial?
should a man return his sinful gains
in exchange to get out of jail?

tell me, what do you hear
my brown-eyed son?
tell me, what do you hear
my innocent young one?

i hear the cries for fairness and justice
from the multitude of downtrodden masses
i hear righteous leaders speaking from the slimy scum
giving hope to all those who have given up all hope

tell me, what do you see
my brown-eyed son?
tell me, what do you see
my innocent young one?

i see judgement from the frustrated innocents
who will try the demons in the court of angels
i see fire and brimstone raining on this degenerate land
and the evildoers will be turned into pillars of turd

Lam Seng Fatt
Malaysia
June 10 2020

 

It has been at least eight years since I last wrote poems, but this COVID-19 lockdown and alarming events unfolding around the world have somehow released some creative juices. I would like to share a poem I wrote last night. Hopefully, it can change this troubled world a little. Thanks for reading:

 

KNEE ON MY NECK

Whose knee is on my neck?

get off, you fool

let me breathe

this air is for all of us

this air sustains all of us

 

i am chinese, not a virus

i am among the browns

just a shade lighter

perhaps with a dab of yellow

i am among the blacks

and minority ethnics

i am beige, off-white

does colour matter?

 

black slaves sold like cattle

enrich poor white traders whose wealth

affords them pride, prestige and power

rich white traders become

even richer while staring at

wall street ticker tape

as slaves kneel down and die

on the streets of free enterprise

handcuffs are unlocked and

slaves are set free while

white knees press on black necks

to stop them from rising up

 

people of colour leave the rainbow garden

to the promised land of the free

where they are to roam freely

in the savannah of plenty

but blood flows freely

through the veins of the guilty

and blood flows freely

on the raw wounds of the innocent

 

i too have a dream

i dream of a rainbow nation

where people of many colours

can breathe without any pain

where people of many colours

can dine in the temple of equality

where people of many colours

can live without shooting each other

and people shall beat their swords into plowshares

and their spears into pruning hooks

nation shall not lift up sword against nation

neither shall they learn war anymore

in a new eden on a new earth

 

Lam Seng Fatt

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

June 8 2020