Alina Rastam

Diver & Other Poems

Alina is a Malaysian freelance writer, social activist and lecturer who lives in Kuala Lumpur. She has written book reviews and articles on literature and the arts as well as opinion or social commentary pieces for publications such as the New Straits Times, Off the Edge and The Sun.

Review by SHARON BAKAR
Diver & Other Poems
Author: Alina Rastam
Publisher: Cricket Communications, 47 pages

ALINA Rastam’s debut collection of poetry opens with a splendidly mystical piece. A shaman imprisoned in a dark cave deep below the ocean watches as a diver braves the depths and struggles through tangles of seaweed to set the speaker free.

It could be read as a love poem addressed to the one who has managed to stir a soul back to life, or it could
be read as an invocation to creativity – the poet reaching out to the muse that must be set free. Both interpretations would fit Diver and in the context of the book, fit thematically as the imagery of the sea is
echoed elsewhere too. The collection is actually dedicated “to love” which we encounter in the poems in all its different guises, lost, found and yearned for. Morning Song is a sensual piece about lovers waking up entwined in each other's arms while Letter to Jane is achingly personal.

My favourite is Leave-Taking in which an elderly woman addresses a lover: “Your touch/ sends lightning cresting along my nerves.” The intensity of love does not fade along with the physical body.

For My Father explores the complex feelings of a daughter for a parent, acknowledging the pain between them. At the same time, she understands that the father acts in anger only because he himself hurts too and despite whatever has happened in the past, they are still part of each other. Love and reconciliation are possible.

There’s love for an animal, too. Rage of Joy is a poem about the imminent death
of a favourite dog, a dear companion for 11 years. The two of them become
deeply aware of the scents of the garden as they watch a last sunset together.
The poem is moving particularly because the subject matter is handled with
restraint and dignity.

An important role of the poet is to stop us from taking the world around us for granted. One of the most delightful poems in the collection is Oh Earthlings – a simple, almost child-like piece written from the point of view of aliens, who envy all that human beings have, including their bodies and rich natural environment.

If only you could see

How infinitely beautiful you are

If you knew

How much we yearn to have fingers

So that we can tousle the velvet tops of your trees

The poem is a reminder that human beings cannot be content with what they are, and with what they have, and are constantly looking to a distant star. This would be an excellent poem for classroom use.

Because we are so often in a rush and overly concerned with the superficial, we tend not to allow ourselves time out to appreciate the world around us. The speaker in To Poetry knows only too well how everyday concerns and routines prevent a full investigation of the inner self. Poetry though, finally finds her again and is there for her when she needs it.

Similarly, in the whimsical Browning’s ‘Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister’, the speaker chides herself for not appreciating the wonderful humour in Browning’s poem when she was a harried undergraduate with no time to laugh. This is a humorous and lively dramatic monologue to answer Browning’s, and I had to go and find the “? wonderful poem that starts with ‘Grrr’ “ immediately on the Internet!

I also very much enjoyed the poems dedicated to other people, since Alina can get a character down to the page wonderfully. For Chang on her 50th Birthday is for Dr Mary Cardosa, “doctor, social activist and extraordinary friend” and is a portrait in words of an exceptional woman.

Uncle Bob is dedicated to the memory of Datuk Bob Cheah. With his largeness and simplicity and his knowledge of “how to dance with life”, I imagine that he is someone I would have liked to have known.
Although most of the poems are written in free verse, Alina does experiment with form.

True to its name, Pantun makes very effective use of the traditional Malay poetic form, blending the imagery of the sea and boats drifting on the midnight waves with the ache of passionate desire.

She also bravely tackles one of the most complex poetic forms of all, the sestina
(a 39-line poem with the lines of each six line stanza ending with the same six
words) in her reflections on wisdom.

Divers & Other Poems may be a slim volume containing just 20 poems, but it showcases Alina’s work extremely well. And whilst the market for poetry in Malaysia is very small and self-publishing is a great act of faith, this is a very accessible collection which should have wide appeal.

Diver & Other Poems is available at Lightworks KL.

Biography of Alina Rastam, author of Diver & Other Poems

Alina is a Malaysian freelance writer, social activist and lecturer who lives in Kuala Lumpur. She has written book reviews and articles on literature and the arts as well as opinion or social commentary pieces for publications such as the New Straits Times, Off the Edge and The Sun. Alina has also designed and conducted several courses on literature for adults; and lectured on literature at Monash University. She is also heavily involved in the local social justice movement, working predominantly in the areas of women’s rights and sexuality rights.

Diver & Other Poems, published in 2007, is Alina’s first book. In it, she brings her life-long love of poetry to bear on the experiences and relationships – often deeply personal and painful but also illuminating and touched by grace - that have been part of her journey through life; and gives voice to the different aspects of her spiritual journey and to her deepening sense of awareness of the Divine. Diver & Other Poems has been placed by the National Library on its Tender Title List, which is a list of titles that the National Library has chosen to promote and distribute to libraries around the country in recognition of their merit.