A burden carried
Against the flow
In the dim light below
Undaunted
Unperturbed
Destination in heart
Resolute
Relentless
Though obstacles obscure my steps
The narrow path is straight and true
Through it all I make my way
A burden carried
Against the flow
In the dim light below
Undaunted
Unperturbed
Destination in heart
Resolute
Relentless
Though obstacles obscure my steps
The narrow path is straight and true
Through it all I make my way
In motion
I am still
In stillness
I am empty
In emptiness
I find no peace
Hollow
Haunted
Vacant
Amidst this familiar pandemonium
I alone am solid
Yet invisible
Carrying as passenger
A pain which pays no fare
Answers no questions
Offers no solutions
The me of this moment
None will remember
Not even I
But here
The pain shuffles off
Into the crowd
And I will not remember it either
A night market lull
Politics and jewelry
Impatient vendor
They call this “golden hour”
But every hour spent with you
Is golden
Emptied fruit crates
For a mattress
Battered and broken stool
For a pillow
A bed unfit
For the delicate senses
And sensibilities
Of a princess
Ah
But for a king?
Ample slumber
In deepest repose
Click a pic
From a speeding taxi
Crossing Jakarta
Months later
While editing
Curiosity piqued
Google “KETOPRAK”
Now I wish we’d stopped
And tried one
A journey
Once begun
Never ends
Overlapping
Those that follow
With belated discovery
But no regrets
For just another
Missed opportunity
Celebrate the joy
Shared with friends
On an adventure
Making a meal
Out of life
She ran through the frame
Dressed in all the right bright colours
A child’s exuberance
Equal to the vibrance
Of the setting
Click click click
Went the shutter
All good
But one click
Is perfect
Ephemeral moment
Eternally captured
In a moment of sizzle
Humming fan blades
And the thrum of traffic
She waited
For some tasty tidbit
I couldn’t make out from the taxi
She thought about yesterday
And tomorrow
Last week and next month
She thought about everything
But this moment
And the tasty thing sizzling
Or the next moment
When the tasty thing would mercilessly
Burn her tongue oh so deliciously
But…
Who’s to say any of this is true?
I was just a photographer living in the frame
Capturing serendipitous moments from a moving taxi
And now I’m just a poet
Listening to the words as they come
Trying to give them their moment
So all of it is fiction
Or maybe some of it is the truth
Though, hopefully
I’ve created something
Which at least
Speaks truly
Even if
It only speaks truly
About the act of creation
Or maybe, the story
Is just saying something truthful
About the creator
ATGATT
All The Gear
All The Time
Helmet
Face shield
Gloves
Ankle high boots
Padded jacket
And pants
At home
By law
Helmet & eye protection
Here too
Helmet
At least
Eye protection
If travelling
Over 50km/hr
Compliance
In Jakarta
Sketchier than home
Even for children
But not for masks
Priorities
Can be
Confusing