SYNOPSIS (OVERALL) -   IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP by Latiff Mohidin
In this poem, the poet tells of the situation of a farmer and his wife who had come back at dawn after being out in the floodwater for the whole day and night. They had been looking for their son's albino buffalo. They love their son very much that they are willing to brave the horrendous or horrible flood just to search for the albino buffalo.

 IN THE MIDST OF HARDSHIP
Latiff Mohidin

At dawn they returned home
their soaky clothes torn
and approached the stove
their limbs marked by scratches
their legs full of wounds
but on their brows
there was not a sign of despair.

The whole day and night just passed
they had to brave the horrendous flood
in the water all the time
between bloated carcasses
and tiny chips of tree barks
desperately looking for their son’s
albino buffalo that was never found.

They were born amidst hardship
and grew up without a sigh or a complaint
now they are in the kitchen, making
jokes while rolling their ciggarete leaves

SYNOPSIS (OVERALL)
In this poem, the poet tells of the situation of a farmer and his wife who had come back at dawn after being out in the floodwater for the whole day and night. They had been looking for their son's albino buffalo. They love their son very much that they are willing to brave the horrendous or horrible flood just to search for the albino buffalo.

They came back wet and their clothes torn, so they went straight to the stove to warm themselves. Their arms and legs are full of scratches and wounds caused by the tiny chips of tree barks found floating in the flood water. Even though they had small scratches and wounds, and they never found their son's albino buffalo which is something precious because it is rarely found (pale, white skin, pink eyes), they did not complaint or give out a sigh or even show sign of despair , hopelessness or even worry. This may be because they are so used to hardship, and they have grown up in this kind of situation, so this is just another day, like any other day, which is full of hardship.

Towards the end of the poem,  it shows that they are already enjoying the simple pleasure that they can have, which is joking with one another while smoking the ciggarette leaves.

'What has happened , happened, there is nothing much we can do to reverse the situation, so let it be", that might be what they will think if such situation occurs.