The City Riding On Nature’s Back(bone)
Kuala Lumpur, at the confluence
Of two muddy rivers, turned drains
Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang.
As the rivers, the city’s a merger of
two age old civilisations, glorious,
that nurtured the culture, economy
of an adrift race’s peninsular roost.
Rivers flowing down concrete canals
Their waters carry the city’s refuse
Lost identity, no barges, boats afloat
Shady trees no more; weed clumps
clung onto by plastic bags, wrappers
Scrawny reptiles and foraging birds
Bridge-hid shores beggars’ home be
A pride of the city, you certainly not
City bosses blinded by ringgit notes
See you not as vibrant veins of life,
Coursing through the heart of a city
The pristine beauty at your source
Ripped bare of your thriving banks
Skeletal you now appear to city folks
A bubbly damsel turned an old hag.
The evil deed done to the two rivers
The city reaping now the bitter fruit
of a colourless life in sweltering heat
Hospitals, hotels and malls a shelter
in a city choking on traffic and haze.
The soul of Kuala Lumpur to restore
O rivers shall you rise to full majesty
By R. Sittamparam
