HAJI MOHD ALI BIN HAJI RADIN

 

 

 

Don't Forget

To Water Me With Light

 

If I do not return,

Do not look for me in bed, nor in dreams.

I have transformed into rain.

falling from the eyes of an old cat by the stairs.

My body is a kettle now

boiling with longing.

My voice is hoarse now.

for I have prayed too long in the mud.

 

Place flowers not upon my grave

but upon the dining table

for I will sit with you,

inside the bread.

within the steam of the coffee

in the laughter that suddenly breaks

Like a mirror that cannot stand the sight of love.

 

If you want to speak,

speak to the wind caught in the curtain.

If you want to weep,

I will collect your tears.

and plant them behind the house.

In time, a tree will grow

its leaves will sound like my voice.

and its shadow will be like

someone you still love.

 

Museum Of Nameless Bones

 

A hundred years have passed,

and still a moment clings

to the teeth of a broken watch.

A face which once lived is now the ceiling.

in a skull that has forgotten its body.

They say:

no one actually dies

as long as shadows still blink behind closed eyes.

But who'll mark that grave

when even the earth has forgotten its own soil?

 

For decades,

silence has been sewing a sheath

for the soul that shivers in cold.

It wears quietness

like a king’s robe that has lost its crown.

Nothing returns,

for every voice

is the dust that letters have become

on the page of a book burned before it was written.

 

And now, from the stony belly of the world,

a song is heard

not from a voice,

but from the crack of a gravestone

still learning to pronounce its own name.

 

HAJI MOHD ALI BIN HAJI RADIN

 

Dr. HAJI MOHD ALI BIN HAJI RADIN (H.MAR), born on 5 August 1968 in Brunei Darussalam, is one of Brunei's most prolific writers. He holds a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Malay Literature from Universiti Brunei Darussalam and currently serves as a Senior Language Officer at the Language and Literature Bureau (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka). H.MAR has been active in the literary field since 1984, producing a diverse range of works including poetry, short stories, novels, stage play scripts, and essays. He has written over 500 poems and 200 short stories, with many of his works published in Brunei by the Language and Literature Bureau, such as Kota Kaca (2003 & 2020), Gelora (2011 & 2023), and Taman Mimpi (2021). H.MAR's works have also gained international attention, published in countries like Egypt and Morocco, with translated titles including Philosophy Garden (2022) and Moon Archer (2023). His works have been translated into more than fifteen languages, including English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Italian, reflecting his growing influence in the global literary landscape. His writing often blends elements of absurdism, existentialism, and mysticism, offering philosophical reflections on humanity and identity. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to regional literature and cultural development, he is scheduled to receive the Borneo Book Award (Special Book Award) and the "ASEAN International Book Award" Special Award from the National Book Development Foundation (Yayasan Pembangunan Buku Negara), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2025.