By MAYA GREEN
In the footsteps, of my father’s direction
For a higher ground’s destination
To climb up the ‘floating’ high mountain
Set up firmly in nature’s high echelon
Where the civet cats nap at high noon
To rest tired limbs, and none too soon
Up a tall tree in a sea of verdant green
Full of vibrance, safe in all shades of green
O the sublime beauty of the rainforests
Where the ‘Derama’ palms abound at best
Of the ‘beranuwan’ bees, with sharp stings
Plants abound, of utility for many things
Of rattan aplenty, ropes of nature’s quality
To make for us, such beautiful carry bags
A true keepsake, a sure thing of utility
To the ‘Apad Dari’, with its covered crags
A hunting expedition, to a land of plenty
Where the monkeys and gibbons are many
And fish laden streams and rivulets abound
On their banks, in lush green all around
Father, you’re no longer here in the front
A beacon you were, to show me the paces
So I must find my own way, when I am want
All I have is the recalls, the names of places
The paths you have laid were sure and true
Paths crafted with care and loving emotion
Alas, all the paths are beyond my recall due
Tho’ still etched in my heart, intact and true
Dateline:
7:22 AM
Shah Alam, Selangor DE
Reflecting on the rainforests back home and the hunting trips I used to take with my father.
