Ketupat

Two separate coconut leaves are assembled into one,
Like pairs of souls uniting together.
The knot of the strands is strong,
No matter how hard they are pulled,
It won't break loose; it won’t fall apart.

The ketupat is entwined with intangible tangle of memories,
Tied by stories, tied by history.
Tales woven throughout my life, reminding me of life when I had no academic pressure.
When my mum would yell at us for waking up late for the morning prayer.
When I could only see colourful lights lighting up the dark streets of the small island.
Memories of times when my heart is filled with fire and excitement,
And times when I walked around the neighborhood with sequin dresses that swept the floor.

The ketupat is a unique tradition in east-Asia.
Different people believe different things about it.
Some believe, marriage is not permitted without knowing how to make one.
Some just think that the ketupat is compressed rice wrapped in coconut leaves.

The green woven coconut leaves, filled with rice, is made annually.
At the end of Ramadan,
When the crescent moon shines brightly in the clear sky,
Signaling ‘Hari Raya is coming’.