Batu Pahat: The Cradle Town of My Birth

 Batu Pahat—Jewel of Johore

Poem of Hometown by lim ju boo  

(Part 1)

O Batu Pahat, cradle of time,
Where the rivers whisper, where palm trees climb.
Bathed in the glow of the golden sun,
Your stories live, though days are spun.

The Simpang Kanan, a silver thread,
Winds through your heart where dreams are bred.
Its waters dance with secrets old,
Tales of warriors, brave and bold.

Once chiselled rocks bore your name,
A sculptor’s hand, a timeless frame.
Yet more than stone, your soul beats free,
In every leaf, in every tree.

The bustling streets, the markets bright,
Lanterns glowing in velvet night.
Spices drifting through the air,
A touch of history, rich and rare.

The sea breeze hums a lover’s tune,
Soft and tender 'neath silver moon.
Waves embrace your tranquil shore,
A lullaby forevermore.

O Batu Pahat, my heart you keep,
In morning’s glow, in midnight’s sleep.
For though the world may call me far,
You shine within—my guiding star.

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Poem of Hometown by lim ju boo  

(Part 2)

The Boy from Batu Pahat

On a stormy night, beneath skies so wild,
A midwife’s hands cradled a restless child.
Thunder roared as the raindrops fell,
Marking the birth of a tale to tell.

Born a child, named Lim Ju Boo

Through schoolyard gates where laughter rang,
A boy once roamed, where young hearts sang.
But mischief danced within his eyes,
And Saturdays bore detention’s ties.

Steam roller wheels, so heavy to pull,
A price for pranks, for bending the rule.
Yet freedom called when school was done,
On rusty wheels, he chased the sun.

Through winding streets, past lantern's glow,
No brakes, no lights—just wind in tow.
A shadow lurked in the dark street’s bend,
A watchful cop, a nightly end.

Minyak Beku, the seaside air,
Fridays found him picnicking there.
Or to Bukit Pasir’s lake so wide,
Then Tongkang Pechah, a boatman’s ride.

Before the dawn, when dreams take flight,
He lay with cows beneath starlight.
Milking at dawn, the moon still high,
Bathing at five ‘neath a quiet sky.

And oh, the stars! That cosmic sea,
Did other worlds shine bright and free?
A boy with dreams beyond the earth,
Wondering what lay past his birth.

O Batu Pahat, your streets still hum,
With echoes of the boy who’d run.
Though time has flown, his heart still stays,
In childhood’s light, in golden days.

See another poem by this author here:

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