The thin looking-glass veneer
17 April 2022
MICHAEL DOM
| Ples Singsing
TOK PISIN TRANSLATION FOLLOWS
One day when I opened my mouth to speak
I heard a language I did not understand
I went to the bathroom to take a peek
At my reflection in the sky-roofed mirror and
To my relief the face was my very own
So I said, "Oh it's you,
I thought for a moment you were gone"
And mirror-me smirked back through
The thin looking-glass veneer
"Yes, it's me, you know I'm no voice in your head"
So I replied with a sardonic sneer
"That's ok, come on out, I won't tell till I'm dead"
Then mirror-me smiled and looked back eye-to-eye
When he said, "Back to work boy", his lips moved, not mine
Galas-lukluk igat hapsait istap
Wanpela taim mi laik opim maus long toktok
Mi harim tokples mi nogat save long en
Mi igo long waswas haus na lukim mi iet
Long galas-lukluk i soim skai antap tu
Mi hamamas long lukim pes bliong mi iet
Na mekim nek olsem, “Oh emi yu tasol,
Mi ting olsem yu ronowe igo pinis”
Na mi iet insait long galas sikinim tit
Na bekim tok gen long galas-lukluk olsem
“Yesa, em mi tasol, het blong yu ino paul”
Na gen mi iet bekim long tok kusai olsem
“Yu ken kam autsait, mi ino inap tok aut”
Man long galas i lukluk long ai bilong mi
Na long maus bilong em iet i tok, “Boi, yu wok”
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