For every emotion,
There is an equal and opposite emotion:
This is in the iron law
That governs human interaction
For every angry activist
Every upset demonstrator
Every militant agitator
There is one on the other side of the divide
For every denouncer of evils
Spewing hate and judgment
Against anyone seen as "different"
Hate against infidels
Hate against deviants
Hate against vagrants
Hate against immigrants
There is one on the other side of the divide
Who is (secretly) different
Often they are one and the same person
For every hate
There is an equal and opposite shame
Hiding beyond a tattered mask
Of anger and redirected blame.
#508 Tentang Janji Yang Tercapati
Mungkir tanpa secebis segan
Janji lama kau capatikan
Yang kau kejar masih berenggan
Yang kau kendong dipersetankan!
#505 On a Rawlsian Attempt
So you’re trying too hard
To play the philosopher
But you’re just a fake 🙄
#500 Tentang Sandiwara Sang Politikus
Gini hidup sang politikus
Atas pentas bersandiwara
Kawan handai semuanya lurus
Kalau musuh semuanya cela
Nanti lepas pilihanraya
Tunggang balik janji formula!
#499 Tentang Pendeta Tipudaya
Hebatnya aku
Pendeta tipudaya
Dipujadamba!
#495 Tentang Pengumuman dan Percaturan
Pengumuman tentang pengumuman
Bagai kilau bayang yang mewayang
Pertuturan demi pertuturan
Menyalut ikan basi dalam sampul loyang
Demi mencuri sesuap ucapan syukur
Dari sang marhaen yang dipandang kufur
Enggan akur pada kehebatan
Sang penguasa yang bermahkotarotan
Percaturan demi percaturan
Dua langkah maju kehadapan
Lima langkah kau bungkam terhumban.
#490 On Time that Strips Us Bare
It feels millennia since I’ve walked those halls
The uni years of youthful politics
As if that young man was just someone else
In subtle ways, we’re prey to Time’s false tricks
How did that young man come to be this old?
Did Time strip off the masks that kept us bold?
#487 Tentang Rebutan Edan
Dari awal usia insani
Kuasa jadi medan rebutan
Gaduh perang menjadi resmi
Fitnah bunuh bukan sempadan
Gelap hati persis sang shaitan
Hanyut dalam lautan edan.
#484 Tentang Kejadongan
BODOH itu satu penyakit
Yang kini tular menjalar menyepit
Seluruh batang tubuh sebangsa
Tersengat tak kira miskin mahupun kaya
BODOH jadi semakin liar
Bila JAHAT turut tersebar
Seluruh bangsa runtuh merana
Bila BODOH dan JAHAT bergabung kuasa
BODOH makin meracau kacau
Bila SOMBONG membikin sasau
Seluruh warga terhukum sama
Bila sang JADONG diberi kuasa
Benar kata pendeta ilmuwan
JADONG alat perisai shaitan
SOMBONG bikin pemimpin bebal
BODOH bikin bangsa tersial
JAHAT bikin negara gagal
Otak beku, taring bersiung
Marakbar kamu, pemimpin JADONG!
#479 On the Blasphemy of Broken Promises
The blasphemy of broken promises:
Your gift to those of us who marched to drums
In concert with your foes that you now bless
While we who kept the faith are given crumbs
For power’s sake power is placed on pedestal
The sheen of reformation effaced, dull.