Hi all, I wanted to share a poem with you that I wrote recently. I had entered this poem for the Singapore writing competition on Poems on the MRT, and they published it. I have always wanted to be a poet, and I am thrilled that it was published! And, surprised. It makes me believe that if you pursue what you want, life surprises you.

A Foreigner

I am a foreigner in a
foreign land
No past here to mull as I walk
down this street
No memory waiting for me
as I turn that corner

Everything is a bit baffling
The spice in the air smells different
The disinfectant in the public places
smells different: an antisepectic cleanliness
The taxis move at a faster pace
and the metro is never late
My eyes race up to follow the height
of the tall buildings in CBD
and stretch to see the sea dotted with
tankers on the East Coast
My ears strain to understand
my taxi driver’s accent
my nose is assailed with the
complex jumble of smells
at the hawker stalls
The enticing whiff from the
carrot cake stall
the warm comforting aromas
from the hokkien mee stand
the steam rising from
yung tao foo kiosk

The sudden showers of rain
keep me alert
and I have learnt not to
venture outside
without an umbrella
My senses are inundated
It is exciting

It is exhausting

The familiar sounds
and smells of home
seem far away

I should take the metro to work
I am told
It is efficient, it is affordable
instead of indulging in taxis
to take me everywhere
I should.
But besieged by the
newness of it all
and scampering to keep in step
with the many
directives in the times of Covid
I have pushed this checklist
item to the bottom

Enough dawdling
Today I decide to conquer
the metro
There is a trepidation in
my step
there is an uncertainty in
my mind
Where should I go
where should I buy a ticket
what weekly, monthly plan should I opt for?

In this underground sanctuary
a coolness sweeps over me as I
step within
a reprieve from the heat outside
The vast space with a high ceiling
is well lit
It is clean
No stragglers here
Clear signs direct me to where I need
to go to ask for help
A gentle hum of efficiency
envelops me
At the ticket counter
an old lady with a kind face
and warm smile helps me
with my queries
I am sure she hears the same questions
over and over again
but there is patience in her voice
an intention to help

I can feel the lines on my brows ease
My confidence return
This is easy
It opens a doorway to finding my
independence in a new land that
I now call home

Four years later
I have now travelled on different lines
blue, green, red, purple, brown.
I have been taken to different corners
of Singapore with ease and swiftness
Heard the nuances and the pitches of
many languages, a glimpse into the
diversity that is Singapore
It is part of my everyday life

I can now see my stop
at Beauty World approaching
I have to get off here

I am home