DIARRHOEA OF DESPAIR

i smell the foulness
of my warm breath
trapped by a face mask
i smell the antiseptic sharpness
of the hand sanitizer
i hear the loud beep of the
digital thermometer
my eyes are blur from scanning QR codes
these are not the best of times
indeed it is the flatulence of gloom
and the diarrhoea of despair

how long more?
how long more?

how long more do we have to suffer like this?
down to the last grain of rice
down to the last cube of sugar
down to the last morsel of food
down to the last ringgit in the purse
down to the last glimmer of hope

put up the white flag!
put up the white flag!

for the wira have failed us
they cook maggi mee for a photo op
to show they are in solidarity with the poor
but their larders are overflowing with food
and their pockets are jiggling with coins of gold
they cross boundaries and flout the SOPs
they dine in and host festive parties
and when we are starving, they tell us to pray

do you see the white flag!
do you see the white flag!

we are not surrendering
we are marching on
we have to help each other
we have to take care of ourselves
for our wira are too busy
trying to cling on to power
while dipping into the pot of gold
to even notice that we still exist

when is the hour and the day?
when is the hour and the day?

when will the saviour make his move?
when will judgment be delivered?
when will we be freed from this dungeon of doom?
when will light shine through this murky gloom?

LAM SENG FATT
July 1 2021

ODE TO SALLEH BEN JONED

i did not know you well
and i observed you from a distance
for you were walking in the hallowed halls
of intelligentsia and academia
and i was an outcast filled with demons
of insecurity, inadequacy and doubt
you could quote profound verses from books
that i had never heard of before
you could blurt out concepts of esoteric views
that i could barely understand
and i, like many others, could only
look at you with apprehension and awe

i heard the demons returned and haunted you
in your final hours even as your great mind faded
you were tormented by the fear
that you had not done enough
that you had not achieved enough
that you did not change the people
let me reassure you so you may sleep in peace
you have done famous (and infamous) things
that nobody in this generation can ever do
you have written things sacred and profane
that nobody in this generation can ever compose
i have looked far and wide and found not one soul
who can equal the depth of your knowledge
the brilliance of your tortured mind
or do your legendary sacrilegious deeds

you did not fail the people
but the people failed you
for they were contented
with the goodie bags
filled with money and KFC
handed out by their wira
chanting their hypnotic mantra
of holy books, religion and race

LAM SENG FATT
Nov 2 2020

 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