There was a woman who wrote all night
We wonder why she wrote all night
Perhaps she wanted to do what she felt was right...
There was a woman who wrote all night
We wonder why she wrote all night
She wrote all night to capture thoughts
We wonder why she captured thoughts
Perhaps to remind those who forgot
Perhaps to stop the rot...
There was a woman who wrote all night
We wonder why she wrote all night
She wrote all night to capture thoughts
She captured thoughts to shape her actions
Perhaps she wanted to share the notion
Of all that was good and beautiful and ancient
There was a woman who wrote all night
We wonder why she wrote all night
She wrote all night to capture thoughts
She captured thoughts to shape her actions
She wanted to share the notion
Of all that was good and beautiful and ancient
Perhaps she truly believed
In the wisdom of the old manuscripts
Lie buried under fathomless seas
Unless we seek to unravel mysteries
Legends long past hold the key
To our coded history
It was never mere fiction
Fuelled by imagination
Copyright 2015 © ninotaziz
All Rights Reserved
The Hikayat belongs to all of us
To love. To share. And to cherish.
You have done so much to raise appreciation of Malay legend, my friend. It has been amazing watching you blaze across the Malay literary world. The repetition in this poem really works, and I love "Legends long past hold the key to our coded history."
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry! This poem was inspired by that famous funny children's rhyme, "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly"
DeleteDo you remember it?
I remember it well, and caught the rhythm immediately. :)
DeleteYes, I thought of that as I read it. The repetition is a learning technique... helps with memorization.... so very effective here.
DeleteThe repetitions create a continuity subjecting the progression to a smooth flow. It creates a song-like verse. It strengthens the notion of keeping the memory alive of such historical wonders. Wonderful take Ninot Ma'am!
ReplyDeleteHank
Perhaps she wrote because so many have forgotten the legends and all they have to teach us, or to enrich our lives. That you know why you write, or at least have a notion of it, is a good thing. Now that you mention the rhyme in the comments I can hear it as well. Write on ninot.
ReplyDeleteI like the depth to this poem, and I think we all wonder why she wrote all night after reading it.. I do think that when a person writes all night that it is unlikely to be purely fiction....that more likely she is bringing legends to life, as you so well expressed.
ReplyDeleteThere was a timed that legends, clan & people's history, stories & diatribes were only kept alive with an oral tradition, passed down from elders; but the old ways wane, & maybe the woman was the last in her story teller's genetic line, & she was anxious to save the tales, the spiritual legends & lessons for posterity.
ReplyDeleteI so love what you have said, Glenn.
DeleteShe wrote all night so she could capture the "stories" to pass down from generation to generation so they don't get lost in translation.
ReplyDeleteit is interesting to peek into the reason why people write - i think everyone has their own story a bit and writes for different reasons... to digest what happens - to shape the future - to capture slices of life...
ReplyDeleteLoved your article Claudia. What are we without layers?
DeleteI loved reading that book to my kids and the kids in the classrooms where I sub. There are many variations, of which one is yours:)
ReplyDeleteI like how you build this poem by repetions.. Almost like when you learn a poem by heart, maybe just how we think when we write, it become a poem about writing which in itself become a process itself...
ReplyDeleteAs soon as I started reading, I thought ' reminds me of the old woman who swallowed a fly' - what a clever use of that nonsense rhyme to build something rather more profound... I love the way you build line upon line in each stanza, but also meaning upon meaning. This may become my new warrior cry!
ReplyDeleteThank you Marina Sofia. I wrote this poem before Claudia's piece on layers, and suddenly, it became so apt.
DeleteYes, this is written straight from the heart. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else would react to it, quite the way you hope it would touch other people.
So true to seek within.. call it... find it.. and write it all down.. may seem fiction to others..
ReplyDeletebut truth remains.. when within becomes light.. and the dark of outside becomes
bright as well..:)
I wonder what the ancients clung to ? A thought provoking piece
ReplyDelete....and she keeps legends and history alive in our minds and hearts.....this is beautiful Ninot! I love the repetition in this. I hope that you get a much deserved vacation. So you can relax and maybe go to the sea and just enjoy the scenery. :-)
ReplyDeleteI used to sing and read "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" to the children I work with, so the format of this spoke to me right away. A unique approach to layering your poem.
ReplyDeleteIt's important for old ideas, history, to be introduced into new poetry----there is so much to learn from other cultures ..sometimes I feel those messages get lost in translation or by simply not reading it, yet we hope it will touch others.
ReplyDeleteI see you have many more books you have published. I certainly enjoyed your first one and am glad to see you continue. I have not written for some time now but hope to get back to it. Take care.
ReplyDelete