Poems on the Radio and on the Trains

Mediacorp contacted me yesterday and asked for permission to read out a poem of mine on one of their radio programmes. I said yes, and planned to tune in, but woke up too late this morning and missed the programme (it started at 7:10 am). Oh well.

The poem was Palmistry, which I also read at a poetry event at the Esplanade Xchange last weekend. That event was part of the Moving Words project (jointly supported by the National Arts Council, The Literary Centre and SMRT). Selected poems by 12 Singapore poets will be featured - in the coming weeks - at various MRT stations and on the trains.

The poems come in the four official languages. Here's a nice one from Liang Wern Fook (梁文福）, who is also well-known as a songwriter.

岛

我和我的父亲相遇


在他的肩膀上

我小小的脸贴着他温热的颈项

（人们都说：这么年轻 这个父亲）

而我最初的看见

就是他背后的遥远



父亲以年轻让我追赶上他

以严厉让我学会眺望

以改变让我怀念

以挥手（又像招手）

叫我离开又让我想回来



我和我的父亲再度相遇

在我新车的后视镜里

我和他真的很像

（看起来还这么年轻 人们都这么说）

但近来大家说什么他都听成风的回响

年龄不是问题（我告诉自己）

距离才是问题



我是他的儿子

我最清楚父亲需要的远和近

放轻一点　别说得太急

他就可以　字字句句都听进去



父亲坐在后座

我开往明天的晴和雨

路还很长 再往前走

海岸线外

大海不是尽头

The Moving Words project comes with a competition that's open to the public (click on the earlier link). Prizes include an iPad2; book vouchers; and the chance to be published in a new book to be launched later this year in conjunction with the Singapore Writers Festival. Winning poems will also get featured on the MRT stations and trains. So wake up your muse, and start writing.