MLIE Exhibition: Empty House

::Disclaimer::

Please cite the source if any of you happen to extract any information from this site; Aiman and I have sourced for information and research with hopes to make this mini-exhibition a successful one. Plagiarism is not allowed, just cite the source(s) according to the American Psychological Association (APA) format.

Empty House

One night, mother was restless
she asked: When will you
buy a house? Sad, but with
a smile, I promised, soon -
a year or two, the latest.  But
a month later she was gone,
regretting not able to see the house
of her child - her look was peaceful, while
her eyes were like holding a secret.

That is my only regret,
nothing else, that is my agony
forever.

(Malay poem "Rumah Kosong").

            A. Samad Said wrote this poem in Malay before it is translated to English language by Irwan Abu Bakar. This poem tells the reader the story about a mother who wants to see her son having his own house. In a Malay society for example, a son is always expected to own a house—or at least prepare it so that his family can live in. A house is a symbolism of family and protection thus possessing a house is a necessity for a man. In this poem, the persona’s mother passed away before she managed to see the house and this signifies his failure. He regrets that he had made a promise to his mother that he did not fulfil. From the looks of her mother when she passed away, he knew that her mother was still longing to see the house and to actually see him getting married. The house he is living in now is empty because his mother is no longer alive, and so does the house he will buy later.