Events

A poem and reflection on Valentine's Day and the audacity of love

As Valentine's Day comes once again, what does it mean to have the audacity to love?

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 14 Feb 2021 8:00AM

A poem and reflection on Valentine's Day and the audacity of love
Kulleh Grasi. – Pic courtesy of Kelvin Chan Photography, February 14, 2021

by Kulleh Grasi

Sebilah Puisi 

Keberanian adalah lautan

Memukul pantai tanpa henti

Jaring-jaring misteri

Lekuk menjadi telapak

Pasir menyamar

Retak angina kenangan.

Kaujolok kekasih dengan soalan

Perlukah puisi di tulis dengan tangan?

Kusorok di meja,

Kusorok di kemeja merah menyala,

Kekapas jatuh berkali kali

Amaran sebilah puisi

Hayat nanti.

Tidur malam berbantal lengan

Keberanian adalah lautan

Kekal sampai habis hembusan

Halam kui

Liveng kui

Hidup adalah kesempatan.

~ Kulleh Grasi
 

Halam

Sekeping surat lewat untuk ombak dari pantai. 

“Tidakkah kau penat mengalun,ombak?”

“Aku yang di pilih untuk terus menghempas pantai.”

“Adakah aku diterima walaupun berubah menjadi badai?”

Ombak yang menghempas pantai adalah kejadian alam yang berterusan. Hanya ombak yang berterusan mampu mengubah pantai, dan sekian alam. Itu adalah kitaran semesta yang tidak akan pernah berubah. Sekalipun badai Tsunami menghempas, kecelakaan berlaku tetapi perubahan itu kemudian juga membentuk sebuah kehidupan baru. Keberanian untuk meneruskan kehidupan atas nama cinta.

Cinta adalah sebuah anugerah. Anugerah daripada sebuah keberanian. Tidak semua manusia mampu dan berani untuk merasa cinta dan kasih. Kita diromantikkan dengan istilah bercinta, berkasih sayang dari sudut pandangan romantis semata-mata. Namun sedarkah kita, menerima perasaan bercinta, mencinta dan di cintai juga adalah sebuah keberanian. Keberanian untuk terus percaya bahawa perasaan itu benar dan sentiasa ada. Kita berhenti untuk mempercayai cinta kerana dugaan, pergolakan dan perbezaan. Perperangan sejagat berlaku bukan semata-mata perbezaan pandangan, penceraian berlaku bukan kerana tiada haluan, pembuangan bayi berlaku bukan semata-mata kerana tiada peradaban. Atas nama cinta, kasih dan sayang , kita seringkali tidak berani memperjuangkan rasa kecintaan itu.

Cinta tidak kenal erti musim. Ianya tidak kenal erti penat. Kita hanya terdorong untuk berhenti merasa cinta kerana kehilangan sebab. Sebilah puisi hanyalah sebuah analogi,sebilah parang yang kian tumpul, sekiranya di asah berkali-kali, akan terus tajam. Tetapi awas, parang yang tajam hanya akan melukakan sekiranya kita menggunakan tanpa mata  hati.

Adakah anda berani berdiri untuk rasa kecintaan? Buat kecintaan pada yang maha Esa, ibu bapa, anak-anak, sahabat dan kekasih. Keberanian untuk bercinta dan terus bercinta adalah agong.

Akui halam ikak, 

Halam - Cinta, Liveng - Rindu

Selamat Hari Valentine!


***

Kulleh Grasi. – Pic courtesy of Kelvin Chan Photography
Kulleh Grasi. – Pic courtesy of Kelvin Chan Photography

Edge-Poem

Courage is a sea

Striking the shore without end,

Nets of an enigma

Curve into the palm of the hand,

Sand camouflages

The fractured winds of memory. 

You thrust a question upon your lover:

Must poems be handwritten?

I crouch at my desk,

hiding under a flame-red shirt,

Cotton flowers fall again and again:

They warn of a poem

Stirring to life.

Sleep pillowed on bare arms,

Courage is a sea

Surging towards the last breath. 

Halam kui

Liveng kui

Life is a moment seized.

(Translated by Pauline Fan)

Halam

A letter from the waves to the shore.

“Do you ever grow tired of surging, waves?”

“I have been chosen to endlessly caress the shore. Would you still receive me if I turned into a storm?”

Waves striking and stroking the shore — an eternal act of nature. Only the constant waves can change the coast, and shape the face of nature. It is a universal cycle that will never change. If a Tsunami strikes, misfortune arrives but even this will eventually give rise to a new life. The audacity to keep living in the name of love.

Love is mastery. Mastery born of audacity. Not all human beings are capable or have the courage to feel love and tenderness. We tend to romanticise terms of love, looking at affection in a purely romantic sense. But do we realise that it takes audacity to truly know love — to love and to be loved? Audacity to believe that this feeling is real and is always there. We stop believing in love because of trials, turmoil, differences. War breaks out not only because of conflicting views, divorce is rife not only because there is no longer togetherness, babies are abandoned not only because we become uncivilised. When it comes to love, tenderness, and intimacy, too often we simply do not have the audacity to fight to keep love alive.

Love knows no seasons. It knows no fatigue. We are only tempted to stop feeling love when we lose a sense of purpose. A poem is simply an analogy, a blade that at times grows blunt; if we whet it, the blade remains sharp. But be warned, a sharp blade will wound if we wield it without the eyes of the heart.

Are you brave enough to stand up for love? For love towards the Almighty, our parents, our children, our friends, our lovers. The audacity to love and keep love alive is truly a mark of greatness.

Akui halam ikak, I love you,

Halam - love, Liveng - longing

Happy Valentine’s Day!

~ Kulleh Grasi

(Translated by Pauline Fan) – The Vibes, February 14, 2021

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