Is this what I really long for? Not family nor even friends, But only the many delights Of the local cuisine back home.   From sock-filtered ‘Nanyang’ coffee roasted in margarine, To the carefully produced nine-layered ‘Kuih Lapis’ cake, And succulent chicken rice that’s pressure-cooked…

At my window   What do I see at my window? I see birds playing and singing, I see flowers trying not to wither, I see you passing by every day. And guess for whom do I look at the window each and every day?

I said all I had to say Colour now erase the grey Morning sun blazes creep My eyes now heavy longing sleep A journey now come to end Blanket well in word you spined

The lady in black, A profile of superciliousness, Her manner haughty, Turning away in disdain.   Some may think Madame Gautreau merely demure, Her manner just an artifice, Instructed in this manner and artistic pose, By Sargent, that society painter of superficiality.   And yet,…

Space   I’ve always been scared of the space I’ve seen myself lost in its eternity   It was the thing you wanted from me Blank and austere.   I was unable to survive in the cold purlieus of your space   On the ebb…

There is this orange bouffanted conman from Queens, Who inflates practically everything it seems, From the length of his hands, and height of his buildings, To the size of his crowds, and all his ‘big’ winnings, Let justice be served when the grand jury convenes….

Along the winding canal where there was once A long swath of overgrown grass, That turned into mud whenever it rained, Overnight, it was all gone. The unruly ‘lallang’ removed, soil levelled, And the ground topped over with concrete.   And yet, scarce months later,…

How to make chai (tea)?   Take a pot fill it with water   half full show your optimism   Put the pot on the stove on the medium flame of agony   Add tea leaves— all black equal to the number of lovers Charlie has…

The International Space Station. Our stepping stone to exploring beyond The confines of our solar system.   The nations of the world Continue to build this gateway to the stars, Module by module.   And yet, this complex feat of science and engineering, The largest…

She. Picked. At the scabs of      *My*    marriage. (so they could not heal) We could not heal… How       *they*      Laughed (( together )) …at me… Discarded window through my                …