1.

The night sky stands vanguard as stars shine with ardor

Irene encircles local history marking it with candor

Outstretched like an ancient aging tree, at sixty two

She burns relentless at the altar like the sun and camphor.

2.

I would call Her the Rosa Parks of our nation. Her hot

Pursuit of Justice, ranks higher in my book than the

Pursuit of Happyness. Her mahatma hands push the dark

Nights of the soul back. She shines a star of armistice.

3.

And yet it is not to her. Not to Irene Fernandez honours go.

Though our homegrown flower of hope pushes up

Though our Edelweiss sings ‘bless our homeland forever’

We remain set as cracked stone under Michelangelo

4.

Though She lifts the hem of the Malaysian Dream

Though she stitches thirteen years of true pursuit

We prefer the illusions of the silver screen. What

|Next, why not award Will Smith a Datukship?

5.

All of Hollywood and Bollywood. Come. Come.

Lelong. Lelong. Jual murah. Your world of

make belief has won Malaysia over. Before you, our girls

and grandmothers swoon, Governors and Heads of State

and their wives lose their minds, mind you! They’ll shine your shoe.

6.

Marilyn Monroe was right: ‘Hollywood is a place where they will pay You a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul.’ Malaysia I had hoped was different but we all fall fool for illusion. Perhaps it is I. I have not learned to read the stars. Perhaps the homeland is delusion.