REMEMBERING YOU CIKGU HAJJAH SITI ZAINAB

by KALAIMATHY GEORGE
(KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA)

YOUR STRONG FINGERS HELD MINE
AS YOU TOOK ON THE LESSON OF
ALIF, BA TA.........JAWI.

SOME STROKES, CURVES AND DOTS
YOU PLOTTED ON BLUE DOUBLE LINES
MY SIGHT FOLLOWED , SLIGHTLY THRILLED
BUT WHOLLY ENTHRALLED
AS YOUR SCENT OF FRESH BLOOMS
WHIFFED BY MY NOSE.

YOU DARTED FROM ONE TABLE
TO ANOTHER IN FLORAL KEBAYA.
EYES ALWAYS ALERT
AS TO THE NEEDS OF THE REST
LEAVING ME HELPLESS

I WANT YOU NEXT TO ME
TALKING......
CORRECTING......
POINTING......
TEACHING.


THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERED TO
AN ANXIOUS SEVEN YEAR OLD
EXCITED WITH THIS NEW WORLD
CALLED SCHOOL
THE SCHOOL HEADED BY YOU,
CIKGU.

ENCHANTED BY YOUR COMMANDS
DURING ASSEMBLY.
YOUR DAILY ROUNDS BY THE CORRIDOR
HANDS NEATLY CROSSED
BEHIND YOUR BACK.

I WATCH YOU COME AND GO
THROUGH OPENED WINDOW PANES
HOPING YOU WOULD STEP INTO
STD 1 KUNING
AND START FROM WHERE YOU STOPPED
I AM STILL SEEKING YOU...
SEEKING THE DAYS
WHEN YOU BROUGHT A CHANGE
INSTEAD OF A CANE.
THANK YOU , CIKGU


KALAIMATHY GEORGE
KUALA LUMPUR