Standing Stupidly
04 June 2021
MICHAEL DOM
| An Illumination in English and Tok Pisin
Standing stupidly
You stand at the door
Belonging to God and pray
What for don’t you knock
Perhaps it is that
He’s too great a being
For you to rap on his door
And look
How many people
Are also waiting there
There is the Marape government
And on the other side
Those church pastors
I thought that
They worked with God
But they are shy at the door
And those who dress themselves
In the black and red gowns
They stand there like wooden posts
At ground level
They are the boss of law and justice
But here they have no seats
Look at the scholars
They bend their knees
And their heads are bowed deeply
I think God must be reading
Each of the papers they wrote
And will give their marks soon
Those shouting people
Those are the prayer warriors
Giving him various jobs to do
That’s because they are the true children
Of God, and the saints
Who rebuke the evil spirits
They are all waiting at the door
So God will come and see them
And give them glory for their virtues
But look here
One of those guys who writes poems
Walks right up to the door
He knocks, takes off his shoes
And without waiting for God’s greeting
He opens the door and walks inside
Hear it now
Two men are talking back and forth
Saying bad words and having a good talk too
And then that guy who writes poems
Comes out and calls back loudly
“OK God, I’ll try”, and then he goes off
Sanap Longlong
Sanap longlong
Yu sanap long dua
Bilong Anutu na beten
Wat po yu less long knok-knok
Ating em imas
Bikpela man tumas
Long yu paitim dua bilong em
Na lukim
Hamaspela lain
Ol tu i wet istap
Em ia Marape gavman
Na long hapsait
Ol pastol bilong sios
Mi ting olsem
Ol i wanwok bilong Anutu
Tasol ol i sem long dua
Na ol lain bilasim ol iet
Wantaim blek o ret gaun
Ol sanap olsem ol diwai pos
Long ples giraun
Ol i bosim lo na jastis
Tasol long hia ol inogat sia
Lukim ol save man-meri
Ol tu i brukim skru
Na het igo daun olgeta
Ating Anutu imas ridim
Wanwan pepa ol ibin raitim
Na bai givim ol mak klostu
Ol bik maus lain
Em ol prayer warrior
I givim wokmak long em
Long wanem ol i pikinini tru
Bilong Anutu, na ol saints
I save rausim ol spirit nogut
Olgeta ol i wet long dua
Bai Anutu ikam lukim ol
Na givim ol glori long mak
Tasol lukim ia
Wanpela man bilong tok-singsing
Wokabaut ikam long dua
Emi knok-knok, rausim su
Na ino wet long Anutu bekim
Opim dua tasol na igo insait
Harim nau
Tupela man i toktok igo ikam
Tok nogut wantem gutpela toktok
Em nau dispela man bilong tok-singsing
Ikam autsait na singaut strong igo bek
"Ok Anutu, bai mi traim", na em igo pinis
Anchored on Ghryme
Answered in wrime
A-tasted on thyme
Accessed in time
Authored for climb
Attempts sublime
Assessed by prime
Assailed as crime?
Where ache-angles fear the dread?
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 09 June 2021 at 04:30 PM
As ever, Lindsay, I need to be 'in the flow' when reading your rhymes.
I like 'ache-angle' and I'm going to have to quote it from you someday.
Posted by: Michael Dom | 09 June 2021 at 02:35 PM
Oh good god, Michael,
same name’s patronage
of my firstborn son,
your words wreathe
Of inquired ache-angle,
fame game’s fosterage
of shy folks’ slack run,
your wreathed words
O’er gowned gazed gallants
maim, flamed language
of wry flails, fav’d none
your words wreaked.
May flawed be merciful.
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 04 June 2021 at 04:25 PM