Pulau Ubin

“the contents of these boats are yours too,
because i have returned.

i am no longer afraid of the oceans
or the differences between people,
no longer easily snared
by words or ideas.

the years at sea and in coastal states
have taught me to choose,
to accept only those tested by comparison,
or that which matches the words of my ancestors,
which returns me to my village
and its completeness.”

– Si Tenggang’s Homecoming
by Muhammad Haji Salleh