We have become a nation now, though not without sweat and blood on our brow. We celebrate our heroes, we bury our demons, but in our festive throes, have we forgotten our women? We are not merely maidens, mothers and crones, we are not merely your mistresses or your amorous milestones; we are more, oh so much more. We are the cries for freedom, we demand our share, our piece of the kingdom, we are beauty without compare; we want more, oh so much more. We did not ask to play this game but we have named our price. Dare you call us by our name and call it thrice?
.
.
We are a dancer and a songstress, a box of secrets and a mystery; we revel in our power for you can only see us as pretty. We will dance till dawn because midnight just isn’t enough; we are siren songs seducing sailors in seas wild and rough. We are Pandora and her chest and from it all your sins released; we will coddle you, boy, you and your little beast.
We are mirrors and we are smoke; we are meek lambs turn lionesses when you provoke. Where’s the fire in this nation without our passion in fair ration? You suckle at our breasts — infants, men or perhaps less. We can do all of this on our own, you have our ardour merely on loan. You may be the father, but we are mothers who won’t be tamed. We are Independence and we will have you call us by our name.
Merdeka…
.
.
We are poets without verse, we are priests without sermons. We won’t lecture or curse, we carry our men but not their burdens. Even if war and violence do they insist, our dreams for peace will endure, persist. We know of other paths to walk; we patiently listen while others balk. Even if noise and lies are all they offer, we will mend and care for those who suffer.
We embrace nature in all her glory; we sit by firelight and tell her stories. We have drunk deep from the past, we have learned those in their arrogance will not last. You call us witches sometimes, you blame us for your crimes. But you know not of our strength, even crippled we are not lame. We are Freedom and we will have you call us by our name.
Merdeka…
.
.
We are queens and we are kings; do not underestimate us simply because we have feelings. Oh we will weep and we will lament, but our tears will dry and we will ascend. We are emancipation and we are our own sovereignty. We can govern better and with more grace and dignity. The rules you flout, the laws you bend; the time will come when you descend. And no, we shan’t gather and gossip in glee when your downfall becomes a reality.
Nay, we have a country to heal, a country to unite. For all your talk of harmony, our nation engaged in strife can only fight. We are wisdom and we are maturity; we will toil for our people’s serenity. See, we aren’t afraid of sweat and blood; we will protect when you flee from the floods. We will honour our land that you have cloaked in shame. We are Liberty and we will have you call us by our name.
Merdeka…
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~ * ~
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Call us diva, poet or queen; we will be heard, we will be seen. Here be our challenge, if you have courage to bear. Make our nation stronger, better, if you dare. If your hearts truly desire things not to remain the same, then stand up and deliver and shout out our name —
Merdeka. Merdeka. Merdeka.
The Ladies: Khairun Nisah Kamaruzaman, Pey Colborne & Meena P. Amavasai.
Today marks Malaysia’s 51st year of independence. (‘Merdeka’ means liberty/freedom).
Beautiful personification of Merdeka. A pity such purity is adulterated and contaminated. I pray in expectation and hope for a bright future and weep in despair and anger at the same time. How dare we violate Merdeka and all it signifies!
» Chin
We pray and weep and hope and above all, we must act. Merdeka!
Half a century + one years is indeed a milestone.. but only for Malaya. *Sabah & Sarawak declared Independence only on 16 September 1963*
Nevertheless, we’re much fortunante than most of our neighboring ASEAN countries but we have still a long way to go.
For better or for worse.. it’s up to you & me.
Am thinking of you all there merdeka weekend. I think it is a beautiful post about loyalty to our country and the true community that exists there between all of us. Wah do not deserve to be personified as one of your graces lah! Made me smile at your gracious words and means a lot to me.
» Jemima
“For better or for worse.. it’s up to you & me.“
Couldn’t have put it better myself. Just as there are many ways of celebrating our Independence Day. One could always set off a hundred fireworks (rather pretty in the sky) or one could think, discuss and work together to make things better.
The Rukunegara is easier to spout than to follow, but there must be some adherence to it. It does matter. Unity does matter.
» msiagirl
Oh but you are a true grace to me and so many others, dear. *hugs*
Your unselfish pleas for unity,affection, loyalty , appreciation of beauty and honesty and all things femininely noble here in Bolihland are as macholy becoming as it should be …
if only the fraudulently obese and opulent borgeious ones on top slithering away on some devilish resorts ( foreign again ), Italian wines and slick curvy bosomely Mongolian women in hand with dubious Merdeka cries can be brought to book and put in their right places as they shud be.
We still however pray for peace n joy , against terrible odds but we know even 1 dance can make a big difference
» backStreetGluttons
I think this is the first time someone’s called me “macholy becoming” — it sounds strangely beguiling and flattering at the same time. Been awhile since I got any compliment just for being male since Lyrical Lemongrass bestowing the title of (Original) Hot Sweaty Stud many aeons ago. LOL
Seriously though, your last statement says it all. Even the smallest thing can make a big difference. Merdeka!
Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka .…
here’s to 51 yrs of indie!
Ring the bells of freedom!
» J2Kfm
51 years and more!
» Paul
Ring them in! Man, I feel so pumped up all of sudden! Yay to Independence!
Absolutely beautiful. ’nuff said.
merdeka! woo-hoo!
i wonder wat “merdeka” this yr means to most msians? long weekend, perhaps? i wonder if merdeka would mean anything to me now, or in the future, cos me and my friends almost forgot it was merdeka day today. we were too busy indulging in chocolate fondue up in the hills
» Michelle
Thanks!
» cumi&ciki
Woo-hoo! Whee!
» Jun
That’s exactly we need to remember and to commemorate and act for the future. And have chocolate fondue too.
A very good narrative, Kenny!
Keep up the good work!!!
Happy Merdeka Day!!
» Moja
Hey there, bro! Haven’t heard from you in awhile… still busy with your studies? Glad you dropped by.
Wishing all a Malaysians in the country and out of the country a Happy Birthday.
oh, for some people.… merdeka means traffic jam on the causeway + the second link ( + bukit kayu hitam too?, come to think of it maybe limbang in sarawak too!)
Thanks for dropping by =)
> Very smooth post concerning the unity of all Malaysians this 51st National Independence Day..
It’s like you are staging a “protest” or something. When I read one para, I hear “Merdeka” with hands up! Ditto when I hear “Merdeka” 3 times and the scenario of fists up three times. Sorry, I just like to imagine and dream.
Happy Merdeka Day!
» keropokman
LOL. That’s why I stay in during Merdeka and celebrate it the best way I know how — writing and informing people about what’s going on. And what’s going ain’t just a party, y’all!
» Leo
Terima kasih, saudara.
» tigerfish
Hehe, not a protest. More like a reminder that we still have a dream we can realize together…
But are we truly a nation, or merely an uneasy co-existence?
This is a beautiful tribute; I’m a cynic.
Happy Merdeka.
» Dee
I love cynics, cos a healthy dose of cynicism plus desire to act is what gets things going. If we aren’t a real nation yet, what are we waiting for? Let’s get moving!
Hi, it’s beautiful.
~ Leaving my first footprint on this site.~
» Purdey
Thanks, dear… Glad meeting you at Rachel’s wedding for the first time today! Go, BodyBalancers!
It’s a beautiful, beautiful piece Kenny, I am honoured to have read it =)
I went to watch the flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square. And I felt the fire lit up inside me. I think I’m turning into a communist now.
» Xandria
Thanks, you are really too kind. The honest truth is that I am honoured to have known so many incredible ladies… women who are out there making things happen, and continue to do so despite all the challenges thrown at them. This Merdeka is for them, if I could dedicate it.
» Legolas
That would be a first, no? A Communist Elf?
That is a very well written tribute to women of Malaysia! Nicely done!!
» daphne
Thanks, but I like to think it’s for all Malaysians too. It’s something to chew on, hopefully.
I wonder if my non-Malaysian readers read this any different? Hmm…
Hi Kenny. That was really really beautiful. I think its so great of you to acknowlege women so beautifully that way. Women are truly special people, nurturing yet strong. It takes a special man to acknowlege it that way. An appropriate tribute for Merdeka Day! Well done!
“It’s something to chew on, hopefully.”
The none-too-subtle points are all there, if I may say so. I’ve come back to read this piece half a dozen times already, and still it calls out to the deepest nooks and crannies of my heart.
A job well done, a piece well written, Kenny.
I’ve simply got to give you a big BIG hug for this. *bear hug*
» The Hermit
Thank you, and I couldn’t agree more — women are truly strong and special people.
» Michelle
I can do with all the bear hugs I can get!
Thanks for re-reading this so many times; I really appreciate it. *hugs back*
remember that Malay pepatah that said, “tangan yang mengayunkan buaian boleh mengoncangkan dunia” which was dedicated to mothers?
your creative post kinda reminds me of that.
happy merdeka, dude.
hopefully next year, it’ll be HAPPY MERDEKA.
» Nic (KHKL)
Yeah. In English, “the hand that rocks the cradle sways the world” (or is it the other way round?) You get the gist.
But I’ll say it’s really all women and not just the mothers. And while I’m highlighting the women here, let’s not forget the gentle menfolk. It’s all of us, really, that moves this quirky-cool world of ours along…
Selamat MERDEKA and Selamat Berpuasa (for my Muslim friends this holy Ramadhan).
Selamat Merdeka, semua warga Malaysia! Women rock!
» Anna
Women most DEFINITELY rock. Woo-hoo!
this is cool…rock…
ooh, loved that woman in HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE…aiyo, whats her name? the psycho nanny, wife of the dead gynae?
i used to be exceedingly patriotic. my dad flies the flag still, every august. this year, i didn’t. i think i am getting cynical with age. i read what idiots like zulkifli nordin of PKR say, and that UMNO MP in permatang pauh, and i am almost glad i entered merdeka in a state of utter inebriation.
however, i dont foresee dying anywhere else, so yeah, bottom line is, its still my country la.
REBECCA DE MORNAY!
» hm
Heh, the weekend’s halfway here — almost time to rock on!
» fatboybakes
“however, i dont foresee dying anywhere else…”
I suppose choice of location for one’s ultimate expiration counts as some form of patriotism. I get your beef with a lot of what’s going on, don’t get me wrong. I just feel we have spirit enough still in us to cheer and hope and spread the message to work to make things better.
That and it always feels good appreciating good women. That Ms. De Mornay for one.
Hahahaha…
Yes, university years are chewing me inside-out.
*sigh*
» Moja
Be strong, brader… they’ll pass soon enough and before long, you might even miss them!
I dunno why.. I read this and the song, “I’m every woman” by Chaka Khan kept playing repetitively in my mind.
» gina
I *LOVE* that song. So sassy and cool… My crazy gal pals would sing to this sometimes in the living room, dancing away — it’s at once hilarious and empowering. If I snicker, I get spanked by them. Naturally, I laugh as much as I can given this fortunate dilemma.
Lovely .… . . so beautiful written!
» Big Boys Oven
*blushes*
Hahahaha. That what ppl said.
I must get rid of my procrastination habit.
» Moja
That, my friend, is one of the hardest habits to kill. I’m still stuck with mine.