Gabriel Burlacu is a Romanian mechanical engineer who was here in Kuala Lumpur for a job related to nuclear science. He is also a poet and he gave my husband a book of his poetry.

This one stuck in my mind, as it was written in Kuala Lumpur in August 2008. Malaysians will know why this theme came to him while he was here… They will also know why I quote it now.

….Asunder

…..Religions put us asunder
…..Ideologies do
…..And cultures do, too
…..The languages we speak put us asunder
…..Our customs and traditions and laws
…..What is that unites us?

…..–Gabriel Burlacu