POEM: IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP

Latiff Othman At dawn they returned home their soaky clothes torn and approached the stove their limbs marked by scratches their legs full of wounds but on their brows there was not a sign of despair They returned home at dawn and headed for the stove. Their clothes were soaking wet and tattered. Their bodies were covered with scratches and wounds. et, they did not display any signs of being worried. STANZA 2 The whole day and night just passed they had to brave the horrendous flood in the water all the time between bloated carcasses and tiny chips of tree barks desperately looking for their sons albino buffalo that was never found They were born amidst hardship and grew up without a sigh or a complaint now they are in the kitchen, making jokes while rolling their cigarette leaves STANZA 3 They were born into poverty and difficulty, but they do not complain about their suffer. !nstead, they sit in the kitchen, cracking jokes while smoking cigarettes They were out in the flood the whole day and night. They were surrounded by dead animals and parts of trees that had been destroyed by the flood. They searched desperately for their sons albino buffalo but were unable to find it. STANZA 1

Malay version of In the Midst of Hardship

Dalam Bencana Mereka pulang ke rumah waktu subuh hari dengan pakaian robek basah menghampiri api tungku lengan mereka penuh calar kaki mereka penuh luka tapi di kening mereka

tidak kelihatan rasa kecewa Sehari semalaman mereka mengharungi banjir berendam antara bangkai ternakan dan serpihan kulit tumbuhan kerbau balar si buyung masih belum ditemui. Mereka dilahirkan dalam bencana tidak ada keluhan dan kutukan kini mereka berjenaka di dapur sambil menggulung rokok daun.

EXERCISE 1
Write TRUE or FALSE for each statement below. If the statement is false, write the correct statement in the space provided. .The famil! "#st e$perienced a bad flood Tr#e False %.The famil! lived in cit! Tr#e False &.The flood lasted for one da! and ni'ht Tr#e False (.Animals and h#mans were drowned in the flood Tr#e False ).The flood victims* hands and le's were covered b! c#ts all over Tr#e False +.The! ret#rned home in the afternoon after the flood Tr#e False ,.-nce the famil! was bac. home, the! felt relieved Tr#e False /.The! wo#ld rather en"o! themselves than complaint abo#t the flood Tr#e False

EXERCISE 2
.When did the famil! 'o bac. home0 1A2 Late at ni'ht 132 In the afternoon 142 In the evenin' 152 Earl! mornin' %.Wh! do !o# thin. some famil! members approached the stove0 1A2 To wash #p 132 To coo. a meal 142 To eat to'ether 152 To .eep their food &.What was not seen on their brows0 1A2 A sad loo. 132 A happ! loo. 142 An e$pression of hopelessness 152 An e$pression of dis'#st (.The word 6horrendo#s* means 1A2 E$citin' 132 En"o!able 142 Tra'ic 152 Awf#l ).If !o# have to 7brave7 a dan'er, !o# have to 1A2 8ive #p 9#ic.l! 132 R#n awa! from it 142 :rotect !o#rself from it 152 End#re it with resilience +.If an animal is an albino, it is;;;;;in comple$ion.

1A2 White 132 8re! 142 3lac. 152 4ream ,.Wh! did the tin! chips float in the floodwater0 1A2 The! were li'ht 132 The trees were #prooted 142 The water ca#sed the chips to brea. off from the tree bar.s 152 The trees were c#t donw b! the villa'ers /.What t!pe of life is a life of hardship0 1A2 A happ! life 132 An eas! life 142 A life of s#fferin' 152 A life of tort#re

EXERCISE 3

The flood victims are 'lad to 'o bac. home. The! have 'one thro#'h a time. The floodwater amon' ver! hi'h. The! were wadin' si'ht. As their for it. <owever,

and chips of the bar.s. It was an

son had lost his b#ffalo, the! were loo.in' the! stood in the time to feel

to find it. 3ac. home, the women started coo.in'. The men tal.in'. The! were also rollin' and complain abo#t their . . This was a