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Poetry Page

ya wadud (invokoing ultimate love)

Such love stuck tight to my soul
total turn on never broken
perfect life long barefoot stroll
when I’m rattled roared & aching
such love stuck tight
firm & loose & always right
stuck tight in my soul
total love when my friend’s sunk
in frustration at his failure
to lift me to money’s luck
total love without demands
from Sabang to Australia
unbound in wedding gold or bands
love tight in my soul
© Geoff Fox 1998 transcreated from the Indonesian original of Yuyum Atmadja with permission

McMockracy - ya Muqtadir (invoking True Power)

McMockracy succumbs
to licking grease & sucking crumbs
in pursuit of plastic peace
where no one ever comes
& voters stuff their ballots
into bungkus rubbish bins
suck policies like tablets
that dissolve their many sins
lodged in parrot gullets.
& decades of education
build facades of karaoke
that retroductive imitation
of what was ocker mick & okie
& is so quintessentially Asian
calmly nodding OK
The synthetic rhododendroms
chew on colas & suck rolls
& traffic flow salutes the guns
the profit motive holds
at a billion children’s parties
in love with holly & artists.
McMockracy succumbs.
© Geoff Fox 1998
McMockracy - I wrote this in the lead up to the 1998 election, where Pak Harto was the only candidate. I was living in Solo at the time. This has been broadcast on the JJJ.

Song Of My Love

Nothing’s like my country
to be painted or sung:
it’s rhyme, it’s shine,
it’s melody
the slice of heaven we get free
& our greed has undone
But hatred rages vengeances
on every shred of sense
brothers turning into wolves
to lacerate ourselves.
The stars & moon rebound bright
& flowers, birds,
my wife & words
all flourish in the light
of this love,
my first, my best, my last.
But hatred rages vengeances
on every shred of sense
brothers turning into wolves
to lacerate ourselves.
Copyright Geoff Fox with permission from an Indonesian language poem by Mustofa Bisri
Sajak Cintaku
Mustofa Bisri is a close friend of Gus Dur and helped me judge the competition for women poets I sponsored in Solo in 2001.

ya WADUD (invokoing ultimate love)

2. McMockracy - ya Muqtadir (invoking True Power) McMockracy succumbs to licking grease & sucking crumbs in pursuit of plastic peace where no one ever comes & voters stuff their ballots into bungkus rubbish bins suck policies like tablets that dissolve their many sins lodged in parrot gullets. & decades of education build facades of karaoke that retroductive imitation of what was ocker mick & okie & is so quintessentially Asian calmly nodding OK The synthetic rhododendroms chew on colas & suck rolls & traffic flow salutes the guns the profit motive holds at a billion children’s parties in love with holly & artists. McMockracy succumbs. © Geoff Fox 1998 3. SONG OF MY LOVE – Sajak Cintaku Nothing’s like my country to be painted or sung: it’s rhyme, it’s shine, it’s melody the slice of heaven we get free & our greed has undone But hatred rages vengeances on every shred of sense brothers turning into wolves to lacerate ourselves. The stars & moon rebound bright & flowers, birds, my wife & words all flourish in the light of this love, my first, my best, my last. But hatred rages vengeances on every shred of sense brothers turning into wolves to lacerate ourselves. (Copyright Geoff Fox with permission from an Indonesian language poem by Mustofa Bisri) thanks for keeping up the great work Geoff Fox