unfurled heart

Hanoi Haiku

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 03:22:00 -0500

slapping cold water

onto her sultry skin she

relished that almost acerbic tinge it left

on the discoloured patches of her body

he hit me

and it felt like a kiss

now they leaked

fresh ruby ribbons

staining the white daffodils

on her threadbare frock

these bruises were earned,

kept, like prized medallions:

these deceptively caustic declarations

of his love.

she glanced in and

he was fast asleep.

from their battlefield, she

gathered those savagely domesticated weapons.

once again

with that stoic unseeing gaze, she

bestowed them back

to the brass coathanger,

their bony arms grasping for the sky

in vain

he hit me

and it felt like a kiss

at old scabs she picked

for she never wanted any to heal.

—

A few weeks back in school we visited the Singapore Art Museum as part of the Dean’s List Programme for English Language and Literature. We learnt about ekphrastic poetry, which is writing that comments on a work of art, and had to write a poem on a piece that inspired us.

There, I chanced upon this striking photograph,which is part of a series titled Hanoi Haiku by Sherman Ong (read more about the series here). It brought to mind my memories of Hanoi when I visited it in May, as part of a school trip. In addition, having studied Wide Sargasso Sea in English class intrigued me to further explore the plight of women oppressed by their partners.

Hence I wrote this poem later that night. It turned out to be most voted for by my Dean’s List classmates, so I had to present it during the subsequent Dean’s Tea. Indeed it was nerve-wracking in front of a large audience, for my very first poetry slam experience!

ffswag: collars are more fierce in numbers. -S.

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 23:59:02 -0400

ffswag:

collars are more fierce in numbers. -S.

Photo

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:54:17 -0400

Photo

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:54:07 -0400

Photo

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:53:19 -0400

lace your fingers through the crevices of mine knuckles rediscovering warmth

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 01:34:40 -0400

lace your fingers through
the crevices of mine
knuckles rediscovering
warmth

Photo

Sat, 09 Jun 2012 13:53:29 -0400

why

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:36:16 -0400

you have all the qualities i’d detest in anyone

yet still so alluring.

can’t get over this picture. cosy yet beautiful.

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 08:33:00 -0400

can’t get over this picture. cosy yet beautiful.

Photo

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:18:02 -0400

Photo

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:15:59 -0400

Photo

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:10:14 -0400

on the boat

"if His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking"

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:06:57 -0400

“if His grace is an ocean,
we’re all sinking”

- how he loves

Photo

Mon, 14 May 2012 06:05:00 -0400

Photo

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:20:47 -0400

Photo

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:43:51 -0400

Photo

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:43:29 -0400

Personality analysis applicable for everyone!

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:41:44 -0400

“You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others’ statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic.” -Bertram R Forer, psychologist

Such is the generalised plausibility of these tests we have been fooling ourselves into thinking how spooking accurate they are.

Photo

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:39:40 -0400

fuckyeahslampoems: Birthday - Andrea Gibson We were all born...

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:05:36 -0400

fuckyeahslampoems:

Birthday - Andrea Gibson

We were all born on days

when too many people died in horrible ways

but you still have to call it a birthday, y’all.

You still have to fall for the prettiest girl on the playground at recess

and hope she knows you could hit a baseball farther than any boy in the whole

third grade