The night takes its form In stages of still blackness and inky silence.
Ibu knits by the staircase squinting in the candlelight while reciting pantuns; Abah trudges through the water with a kerosene lamp and a yellow umbrella muttering to himself β
All is still on the waterβs edge. I look out the windows torchlight in my hands:
Water is everywhere Lawns and roads In every house and every car its murky reflection placid, unmoving, brown;
The night brings with it A cacophony of noises: From the candlelight A cricket calls to its mate A bloodthirsty mosquito buzz in my ear the gentle patter of rain on the roof
A glossary of terms: Ibu - mother Pantuns - traditional Malay poems Abah - father