A passion for poetry

Many of us have a passion, an untapped talent that we keep on the back-burner because we're too busy with everyday life. We indulge in that passion as and when we can spare the time. We sometimes keep it hidden, unsure of how others will see it.

Ariffin Mamat is a man with a passion - he writes poetry. On the exterior, the world sees a human resource professional who has been working for several years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he lives with his wife Aishah and family. Within him are thoughts and feelings that find expression in rhymes, which he has been putting down on paper since 2002 and posting on his blog since he started it. All those years, he never thought of compiling them into a book until he was persuaded to do so by a friend.

Given the publishing scene in Malaysia, many have had to produce their own books. My friend Yasmin Gan Abdullah and I did so with our book Hajj - The Humbling Journey. My aunt Kalsom Taib set up her own publishing company to make The Shafee Yahya Story - Estate Boy to ACA Chief a reality. Ariffin has had to take the same route to realise his dream. The fulfilling result is a book of his verses (plus some contributions by family and friends) in the English as well as Malay languages.

It is two books in one. Echo of Silence is the title on one cover, bringing the reader into Ariffin's English language poems. Flip the book over and the cover reads Masih Di Sini, leading to his work in Malay.

The photographs on the cover and inside the book are by his son Haziq Ariffin. In his introduction, Ariffin quipped, "Most people publish books to make money. Well, I made enough money so that I can publish my own book." And then he reveals that "this book is very special to me because it brings together words which I have written to capture my most private and vulnerable moments. These words represent my personal side which is often concealed from public eyes."

Ariffin revealed more of himself at his book launch in Kuala Lumpur on 28 December 2011, which my sister Zawiyah and I attended. What a surprise to find that one of his champions, who wrote the book's foreword, is our Jamak relative, Dato' Zuraidah Atan. The launch was an intimate event in a cosy part of a hotel, during which much poetry was read by Ariffin and his friends. This was followed by the book-signing, as guests tucked into the delicious food spread. Because of the very high commission charged by book distributors, the book is sold online (please e-mail adlilhafiz@gmail.com).

Zawiyah and Ariffin

My signed copy

One poem in the book that I particularly like is 'The truth', penned in Jeddah on 6 January 2007:

I'm searching for the truth

when a smile is not a disguise 

and a disguise is not a lie.

Why would a mirror not tell the truth

that I'm old and long past my youth.

Why would my eyes only see differently

not an old man as I'm often told.

Here and now I shall pause and ponder

the truth shall be spoken, loud and clear.

Who am I, and what do I stand for?

Where am I going, and what is on my shoulder?

Day by day, I shall look for answers

mile by mile, the paths I cover

the loneliness I live as a traveler

the sins I commit and so many blunders.

The pain I feel, bleeding in anger

the hope I dream during my slumber

the time tears roll down my cheeks

the fear I have when I feel weak.

So many secrets, in so many folds

unspoken truth, awaiting to be told.

Poetry is not an easy genre to write. The words cannot be forced, the feelings cannot be faked. People who write poetry, I think, bare their souls more than those who do it in prose. There are no paragraphs and chapters to hide within; much is revealed in the stark lines standing on the page. 

There's also a risk in writing poetry. Will the reader get it or not? Will the reader see into the thoughts underlining the words? Will the reader share in the sentiments? Ariffin took the risk, and for that I compliment and congratulate him.