Borneo Sky

A thousand rivers in your arms
winding through forests
that has declining for ages,
gurgling on the edge of small lands
guardians of the rivers
before unite in the open sea

The eagle eyes catching wind
that blows the clouds,
reflecting in the water of rice fields
like a prism of mirrors

Blue canvas sky
above grief of the land
below magnetic equator
Once, a dense rainforest
between crying flow of rivers
Giant snappers and groupers grow wild
from headwaters to creeks
papuyu, lais, jelawat, seluang
all other local fishes
splash in the air,
perfect dish at night

Now,
the sky covers thousand miles of swamps
greener plantations
deeper quarries
bolder heavy trucks
cold bladed steel
digging greedier
indiscriminate deforestation

A shade of grey in the sky
Maybe we’ll meet again someday
When sky is more colourless

Novia,
Banjarmasin – May 8th, 2014

Note:
Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and the largest island of Asia. The island is divided among three countries: Brunei and Malaysia on the north, and Indonesia to the south. Approximately 73% of the island is Indonesian territory. Borneo is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world.