Perhentian Nights (1999)

E-Mail to Brian Yang, Wednesday, 0130 hrs, 11 August 1999



As the day's haze retreats, soaking up the dark shroud of a humid night -
The sky's blurry eye clears, and splinters into a cloak of starry light
While the Malaysean sea flickers the shore's distant dance
Of fairy-coloured party lights blinking on the waves' crested glance.

Two meteors glow and pierce, streaking forth from Perseus strung ahigh -
Across the Milky glow-worm, home of a billion-billion other stars up nigh
While my humble pair of eyes gather in their long-travelled light
Knowing some other end of the earth another traveller might behold the same sight.

Gentle now the boat's imperceptible rock increase, as the tide ebbs low
And high above the new moon's crescent groans and the pink clouds flow,
Greeting my thoughts with a tease:  oh, my cosmic insignificance!
How large above the universe looms, and full of emptiness!

On the bow, beer cans, wine, chips and endless banter begins to warm -
Eunice, Micah, Jason, Andrew and I - sip and whine - feel the calm
And ponder nonsense seriously as soberly as single-minded seamen would
While Greg turns in as a huddled mass, asleep soundly as far we understood.

Now I wish how perfect such a night as this, its empty hopes list
And so quickly sinks - would alter nothing in my memory - nor turn to ashes,
But remain forever etched, that I would understand this:
Of sea breeze caressing ever so gently my senses...
"carrying away my thoughts, carrying, carried,
away to yesteryears, lingering, hoping,
desperately longing for those olden days,
those golden days".*
And then silence envelopes, like the drowsy morning coastal mists;
And lights seems to shimmer no more but break into streams
Of day-glow and indigo and yellow, in patchy reefs of sky
And Venus hangs suspended like a tease
Poised to greet the new dawn emerging as a nymph
Yawning away my perfect night with an open "Why?"



*  These lines are an extract from Brian Yang’s own poem written at Dayang, untitled, at about 0100 hrs, Sunday, 18 July 1999.

This one is entering my log book for you.
Enjoy each and every moment - meaningfully, always.