Politicians
double up as salons
Offering
makeovers.
If
today you ask a city its name,
It
will look into your eyes seductively
And
ask, "What do you want it to be?
I
could be Shanghai,
Or
are you in the mood for Singapore?"
And
though you know
That
while the grass on your side is burnt or stunted,
None
grows on the other side,
You'll
allow yourself to be coiled up and swallowed.
You'll
want to take this one decision,
To
end the pretence that you're the one taking the decisions;
You'll
wish to do away with the stressful delusion of being in control,
Knowing
you were the one being kept in control.
You'll
give in gratefully
In
that most vulnerable moment in the day,
When
you're shivering,
"Anywhere
but here, anywhere but here."
First published in Singapore Poetry, 15 Jul 2016.
