Poem, 3 October 2018.
I wake up and honour the rising sun,
The fields, the rivers and the bountiful ground.
I have a bath and comb out my long black hair,
Wear my batik kain and white lace kebaya.
With the sash knotted firmly around my waist,
I am ready to begin a new day.
I set out my delicately-crafted banana leaf trays,
Line the bottom with another banana leaf,
Add some palm leaf decorations and a betel leaf,
And fill them with blossoms of four different hues.
Now for the palate,
I add a savoury morsel of sticky rice
Flavoured with coconut and palm sugar,
And a piece of fruit.
That would have done in the old days!
But now in keeping with the new times,
I put in a pink-plastic-wrapped candy
And some coffee in a small plastic cup or bag.
My generous offering for the gods is ready.
I light some fragrant incense, sprinkle water
And proffer my heartfelt thanks
To the myriad gods and spirits.
The sun rises in the sky
And dips westward over the day.
The geckos, the ants and the squirrels
All partake of the exquisite offerings.
Another morning dawns and the remains
Are swept up and tossed out.
The beautifully-faded leaves, sticks and flowers
Wither and become one with the earth.
Thousands of unwrapped uneaten candies
And little plastic bags and cups
Bob along on the rivers and seas,
Repeatedly spit out and retrieved by the waves,
Offered and re-offered to the Gods
For eternity.