Edward Ong
浪人 Rōnin
I was a wanderer in my previous life,
Walking to the end of the Sacred Land
Just to find my love forever lost.
He was my Supreme Lord and Master,
Gave me protection and dignity,
Taught me the rhythm of 'renga'
To soften the blow of the 'katana.'
But he was taken from me at midnight,
By the dragons of the Underworld,
And I was condemned to roam among heartless men
Who wanted my heart, my soul, and my pride.
The Daimyō declared me an enemy,
Sent his henchmen for my head.
With my humble 'bō' I fought with all my might,
But my body and mind weakened by loneliness,
I dropped the weapon and offered up my life.
Before darkness came I saw
My Lord's assured face against the summer sky.
He spoke to me in a voice nightly familiar,
Reminding me of the sensual touch of liberty,
Of a love unbound in a world of many cruelties.
I promised him solemn when I awoke in another age,
In a land of future oppression,
I would raise my 'katana' high above my head,
And sound a battle cry in his holy name!
29.1.16 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By the Sea
... I chance upon him again
- the teen boy of distant hazy days.
He asks me how I have been, what
Has transpired since I last saw him.
'I've lost sight of many things,' I say,
'Irretrievable so disheartened am I.'
His wise eyes read my broken soul.
He asks me to kneel with him
On the white sand soggy to the touch.
'Dig, my old friend,' he instructs.
I do as he says but know not why.
'Dig for time lost thought not to be redeemed;
Dig for the innocence of youth long tarnished;
Dig for love and promises bounteous;
Dig for faith in God beyond religion;
Dig for humanism that rarest of seashells;
Dig for peace and harmony deemed impossible;
Dig for Hope that powers seven galaxies.
And when you have retrieved these treasures,
Swallow them whole.
18.12.15. Phuket, Thailand
Edward Ong is a Penang-born, European-educated poet. He moved to The Netherlands to study English Literature at the age of 18 and became a Dutch citizen. Now at the age of 43, he resides in Kuala Lumpur and teaches pre-university English and World Literature for a living. His poems deal with contemporary issues such as alienation, faith, culture, identity, memory, aesthetics and spirituality.
In the Poet's own words with regards to both of his poems: "The first one was inspired by one of my trips to Osaka Castle in Japan, and I had a sense of deja vu then that I had lived there before. Many of my poems are influenced by Zen Buddhism and deal with the idea of reincarnation (though I may not necessarily be a believer). The second is about the loss of innocence, and was inspired by my second home, Phuket, Thailand. The beach has always reminded me of lost objects.
I was a wanderer in my previous life,
Walking to the end of the Sacred Land
Just to find my love forever lost.
He was my Supreme Lord and Master,
Gave me protection and dignity,
Taught me the rhythm of 'renga'
To soften the blow of the 'katana.'
But he was taken from me at midnight,
By the dragons of the Underworld,
And I was condemned to roam among heartless men
Who wanted my heart, my soul, and my pride.
The Daimyō declared me an enemy,
Sent his henchmen for my head.
With my humble 'bō' I fought with all my might,
But my body and mind weakened by loneliness,
I dropped the weapon and offered up my life.
Before darkness came I saw
My Lord's assured face against the summer sky.
He spoke to me in a voice nightly familiar,
Reminding me of the sensual touch of liberty,
Of a love unbound in a world of many cruelties.
I promised him solemn when I awoke in another age,
In a land of future oppression,
I would raise my 'katana' high above my head,
And sound a battle cry in his holy name!
29.1.16 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By the Sea
... I chance upon him again
- the teen boy of distant hazy days.
He asks me how I have been, what
Has transpired since I last saw him.
'I've lost sight of many things,' I say,
'Irretrievable so disheartened am I.'
His wise eyes read my broken soul.
He asks me to kneel with him
On the white sand soggy to the touch.
'Dig, my old friend,' he instructs.
I do as he says but know not why.
'Dig for time lost thought not to be redeemed;
Dig for the innocence of youth long tarnished;
Dig for love and promises bounteous;
Dig for faith in God beyond religion;
Dig for humanism that rarest of seashells;
Dig for peace and harmony deemed impossible;
Dig for Hope that powers seven galaxies.
And when you have retrieved these treasures,
Swallow them whole.
18.12.15. Phuket, Thailand
Edward Ong is a Penang-born, European-educated poet. He moved to The Netherlands to study English Literature at the age of 18 and became a Dutch citizen. Now at the age of 43, he resides in Kuala Lumpur and teaches pre-university English and World Literature for a living. His poems deal with contemporary issues such as alienation, faith, culture, identity, memory, aesthetics and spirituality.
In the Poet's own words with regards to both of his poems: "The first one was inspired by one of my trips to Osaka Castle in Japan, and I had a sense of deja vu then that I had lived there before. Many of my poems are influenced by Zen Buddhism and deal with the idea of reincarnation (though I may not necessarily be a believer). The second is about the loss of innocence, and was inspired by my second home, Phuket, Thailand. The beach has always reminded me of lost objects.