Sojourners: Poetry and Art Exhibition with Shilpa Dikshit Thapliyal
On 30th July 2023, Poetry Festival Singapore presented a multilingual ekphrastic poetry reading with artists from ARTS@Metta. Keeping with Poetry Festival Singapore’s 2023 theme of ‘Sojourners,’ multilingual poets read their poems inspired by the striking artworks created by special needs artists from ARTS@Metta across English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and Chin. The event was presented by Shilpa Dikshit Thapiyal and featured the poets Jennifer Leong, Henry Low, Fadhli Fadzil, Jonathan Chan, Mai Shalom Thar, Alex Chan (pen name Yu Fan), Vishnu Vardni, and Hui Hui Lan. Some of the poems and their corresponding art pieces are displayed below.
Poets and artists
The Astronaut and The Juggernaut
Jennifer Leong
silent night, starry, starry night
smiling light burning bright
crescent cheese unspliced by mice
some say healthier, better than rice
it has holes
is it whole?
is that the whole world
out there with its audacious swirls
each spiralling on its own
without a key to reach return?
it's a keyhole
is it whole?
if someone punches munches
the cheese through his lunches
is there too much space
for the astronaut to graze?
it's a black hole
is it whole?
you gaze in wonder
at the artwork the heart powers
what's in it keeps it floating
there is zero sugar-coating
it has highs
it has lows
let's defy gravity's countdown
let no smiles turn into frowns
let spaceships and rockets rock
beyond any kind of roadblock
it has highs
it has lows
the string insists it be strummed
to the heart's song that is hummed
to return to where it will always belong
no matter that such distance is long
it has highs
it has lows
it's not solely my fault
nor that of the astronaut
that earth's turf and surf
are getting together against love
it's a rabbit hole
is it whole?
where brothers forget
the deeds they regret
yet haven't learnt to give
forgiveness any chance to live
they have highs
they have lows
it's the collective tares we've sown
blowing cold winds through our bones
a hand reaches for the lone near star
another stretches to mend the scars
they have holes
are they whole?
the astronaut has just met
a fellow sojourner who has no helmet
he wishes he too could try
but he knows he would surely die
he has highs
he has lows
he sighs as he clumsily floats
with the constrictive overcoat
he clutches at straws
then finds that they are outlaws
they have holes
are they whole?
the astronaut juggles
the juggernaut of bubbles
threatening to disappear
hopefully, so will his fears
I have highs
I have lows
I see a constellation
it's a great consolation
I take stock of my bearings
and ponder upon life's meaning
it has holes
is it whole?
does everyone concur
space is for us to conquer
so we get to be closer
or do boundaries expand further
they have potholes,
yes, and we are human
life's a journey she has realised
she decides what's to be prioritised
the legacy she hopes to leave behind
the kinder kind of humankind.
'Astronaut' by Qi Qi
Jennifer Leong
'Butterflies' by Chee Meng
蝴蝶
刘瑞金
任是用一个长方形的框
想要框住想飞的欲望
我却要努力冲破
并且展现万紫千红的美姿
一条框无法制止我飞翔的自由
一张网无法网住我心灵的奔放
一幅画无法限制我探索的触角
我有原自本能的声音
潜藏在心底颤动着
被唤醒的生命
在一条崎岖的道路上寻找路径
冲破所有的曲折和牢笼
天空中的蔚蓝是我翱翔的天地
我用我灵巧的翅膀去轻碰生命的花蕊
用我追寻的渴望去轻敲命运的大门
或许我会驻足停留
或许会有风雨在向我招手
但不变的是自觉的温度和性灵
那份从容和自在
能让每一个惧怕都消失
每一个胆怯都胆怯
Butterflies
Henry Low
Translated by Jonathan Chan
Even if it is with a rectangular frame
That someone seeks to contain my desire to fly
I will still try to break through
And display the beauty of myriad colours
A frame cannot halt the freedom of my flying
A net cannot ensnare my unrestrained spirit
A painting cannot limit the exploration of my antennas
I have a voice both original and instinctive
It lurks in my heart, trembling
A life that has been awakened
I search for a path on an uneven road
Breaking through every twist and every cage
The blue of the sky is where I soar
With my dexterous wings, I brush the pistils of this life
I knock on the doors of fate with the yearning of my desire
Perhaps I will stop for a while
Perhaps the wind and the rain will beckon
Yet the temperature and spirit of my self-awareness will remain
That sense of ease and comfort
Can make every fear dissipate,
Make every timidity timid.
Henry Low
'Mushrooms' by Fadhil
Di Bawah Payung Ini
Fadhli Fadzil
di bawah payung ini
membulat melengkung;
menebal menggunung —
kusaksikan hujan menitik;
merintik di celah-celah
sirip,
tersembunyi secebis kehidupan:
beralun bernafas lembut bergema
terlindung dari sentuhan mentari
terbendung dengan racunan azali
(redup, malap, redum, gelap)
tetap ia tumbuh melata,
tanpa mengucap sepatah kata
berdiri berani melawan sendiri
basahnya hujan teriknya mentari
begitulah cendawan di embun pagi
menawan langit menakluk bumi.
Under this Umbrella
Fadhli Fadzil
Translated by Nuh Isa
Under this umbrella
curved and twisted;
tall and thick —
I witness the rain dripping;
trickling through its gills,
hidden is a smidge of life:
continuously breathing, it echoes softly
protected from the sun’s kiss
swamped with natural poison
(dreary, bleak, gloomy, dark)
still it grows serpentine,
without saying a word
standing brave to fight on its own
the wetness of the rain, the heat of the sun
indeed the mushroom in the morning dew
capturing the sky conquering the earth
Fadhil and Fadhli
two butterflies
Jonathan Chan
two butterflies came in
to land, legs brushing
then gripping the small
buds, like red berries
of goji, bulbous
on the forking green
stems. the purple span
of their wings, crystalline,
glinting violet and
maroon, porous speckles in
folds of four. their feelers,
sniffing for the sweetness, the sap
of nectar. nocturnal creatures,
diurnal aberrations. the sky
is so dark. the butterfly projects
an ancient dream, a fluttering
of consciousness, a wingbeat
for a hurricane. time is silent.
time is empty. there is beauty
in the sound of living. there
is beauty in the sound
of leaving.
'Butterflies' by Chee Meng
Jonathan Chan
Nauhak Nu Ih Tuarnak
Mai Shalom Thar
A lek duh nan a ngahlo,
Khui hmanah a vak theilo
A ning na rualpi a nei nawnlo
A nu a ko, a thei ban fawn lo
A tlun ah vanzam an zuang
Zirnak, beiseinak in an tlansan thluh
Zirhtu an hlo, tlawng khar
Lamzin tinkim an pit thluh
A tumtahnak ih nulepa cawm
Zato ah tuan ih mi na hlawm
Asinan, a kut ke an bul thluh
Harnak zate in a nun an khuh
Nauhak nu ih tuarnak le ruahnak
Tlunvan ih thlapi in a theih sak
A mithhli cu Arsi an hnulsak
Ngaidam a dil hnu ah, Ni khal a suak
Zo ih ruangah a tuar
A nu ih ruangah a si maw
A kiangkap ruangah teh a si maw
A umnak rampi uknak ruangah a tuar.
A umnak ramah doawknak hlir
Nitin mi tampi nunnak liam in an thi
Mifim in ram an hruai lo, milian pawl lawng
Zangfahnak neilo rampi ah a cang
A sunmang zaten an cem
A san le vang kan thei thluhlo
Zo ruangah, zoih mawh ruangah
A umnak ram uktu țhatlo ruangah
A tuartu nauhhak,a hlawktu midang
A tuantu mipi,ei ru tu hruaitu thalo
Kanta kan ti theimi pakhat hman a um nawnlo
Thih phangin, thih tih loih kan tuansuah mi tiang.
Cem lohli seh, nauhak nute ih tuarnak.
The Little Girl's Life
Mai Shalom Thar
A girl wants to enjoy her childhood
But has no friends or siblings to play with
She calls her mom for help
No one hears her voice
She wants to study,
Instead of playing alone,
But the school and roads are closed
Everything is shut, once again.
The girl's dream is to support her family
But now she has no hands and legs
She cries and looks up at the sky
It is colourful, light, and bright.
Her only hope is up in the sky
The moon listens when she talks
The stars wipe her tears
The sun says sorry before it rises
Who is all this because of?
Is it her mom’s fault?
Or, is no one around
when she needs a shoulder to cry on
The ground she is staying on is messy
Every day people die
The nation is controlled by the wrong authority
There is no sympathy in the city
Her life is crazy and messy
She is a girl who always sacrifices
And she lives life in a cubicle
But, she is still, fighting for her life
From inside a war zone!
She then asks,
"Until when…?"
'Astronauts' by Namira
Mai Shalom Thar
昨日之蛾
语凡
都说你因思念来访
停在我门窗的阴暗处
展开如雪，与我对视
像昨夜匆匆走过的梦境
还来不及说一句话
就已消融成水露
一生仿若虚幻
以为没人记得
唯那格窗棂
曾停过你的体温
读过你残留的印痕
他日你若再访
请停在我的掌心
展开双翼
飞过我纷乱微寒的掌纹
赠我一两句你吐出的小诗
Yesterday’s Moth
Yu Fan
Translated by Jonathan Chan
They say you’ve come to visit because you miss me.
You stopped in the shadow of my door and window,
spreading out like snow, and you looked at me,
like a dream that had passed in a hurry the night before.
I was too late to say a word
for it had already melted into dew.
A life that seems like an illusion,
I thought no one would remember.
Only that window pane,
where the heat of your body once rested.
I’d read the marks you’d left behind.
If you visit again someday,
please stop and rest in my hand.
Spread your wings.
Fly over the intersecting, frigid lines of my palm.
Give me a line or two of the little poem you've spit out.
'Butterflies' by Chee Meng
Yu Fan
戴帽的精灵
语凡
无意间驻足在丛林间
竟生出许多善恶
有的快乐
有的带着莫名的哀愁
生很多孩子
过很多幸福的生活
每天等人来采摘
每天在风雨中唱歌
每人戴一顶帽子
不惧炎阳
不怕无情的雨丝
帽子在风中摇晃
又生出许多善念的城
The Elves in Hats
Yu Fan
Translated by Jonathan Chan
Unexpectedly, I stopped upon a forest,
from which emerged both the good and bad.
Some were happy,
some bore an ineffable sorrow.
Many children were born
and many lived lives of bliss,
each day waiting to be picked,
each day singing amidst the rainstorms.
Each person wore a hat.
They did not fear the blaze of the sun.
They did not fear the unrelenting rain.
Their hats rattled in the wind,
and gave rise to a city of many good thoughts
'Mushrooms' by Fadhil
Fer-nana
Huihui Lan
Have you met our favourite grandma?
Her nickname is Fernana
She cares for her jagged lush ferns
Just like her many children
And our homegrown special purple banana!
One day with a big shovel nana dug the ferns up,
“Look, bub!”
No matter where the shoots,
You can track them by their roots…
They are joined by light bulbs!
Three nodes to root,
Three months to shoot,
She said, “Growing in peat and sand,
Soil and sky in hand
Stems of green life are continued…”
Have you met Fernanda?
She is our favourite grandma!
The one with caring angel eyes,
Through her blessed wisdom,
Look how The Light shines.
Her bubs have grown through rainbow cocoons of metta
But we will always remember our purple nana!
乡旭
蓝慧惠
纷至沓来的嘱咐
温暖如春的祝福
恩赐的旭阳不分你我他
有奶奶的孩子有根在家
乘光的孩子，飞吧！
On The Rays Home
Huihui Lan
Translated by Huihui Lan
Infinite streams of warm reminders
Warm as spring blessings
The grateful and gifted moon and sun do not distinguish between you, me, them, him or her
A child with grandma has roots at home
Blessed with light in your step, fly, my child, fly!
'Fern' by Fadhil
***
Bios
Artist and Artist Trainer
Muhammad Fadhil Bin Abdul Jalil is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In his spare time, he enjoys playing with his family's seven cats. Fadhil is a patient and meticulous artist. He is a calm observer who attentively follows instructions. He is a huge fan of manga and robots, and you can often see him drawing these characters.
Nur-Qamariah Binte Haji Kamal graduated from LaSalle College of the Arts with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours). She specialised in Graphic Design, Batik Painting, Watercolour Painting and Pottery. After graduating from LaSalle, she began her profession as a Graphic Designer. After a few years of her normal 8-5 job, she wanted a change in her life. She aspires to use her art knowledge to contribute to society by supporting those with special needs. With her guidance at Arts@Metta, they have groomed many brilliant artists, providing them with a path to use their abilities to contribute back to the community. Qamariah is also a plant lover. Using her passion, she taught the artists another skill, horticulture. All of the potted plants in ECO@Metta are grown by her and the artists.
Poets
Jennifer Leong is an advocate for hope who posts poems as Soy Avocado on social media. She is mesmerised by the variety of poetry forms in the world. Her poem ‘Hills’ won the Spirit of the Festival Award at the Frances Browne Literary Festival Multilingual Poetry Competition 2022 in Ireland. Through divine inspiration, she invented the ‘duatrespentastep’ form of poetry in April 2022 during Singapore Poetry Writing Month.
Henry Low is the Vice-President of the Singapore Association of Writers and is the Chief Editor of Singapore Chinese Literature. He has published 3 poetry collections and is the author and editor of several other books. He is also the recipient of the Young Artist Award for Literature in 1999.
Fadhli Fadzil is a penultimate student from the National Institute of Education, majoring in Malay Language and Literature. He started writing at 16 and has published a poetry collection in 2020. Writing is his outlet of expression, especially for topics he finds great interest in, such as identity and culture. He landed First Place in the National Poetry Competition 2022 for the Malay category.
Jonathan Chan is a writer and editor of poems and essays. Born in New York to a Malaysian father and South Korean mother, he was raised in Singapore and educated at Cambridge and Yale Universities. He is the author of the poetry collection going home (Landmark, 2022) and Managing Editor of poetry.sg. He has an abiding interest in faith, identity, and creative expression. More of his writing can be found at jonbcy.wordpress.com.
Mai Shalom Thar is from Myanmar (Chin). She has been working in Singapore for 12 years and has been writing since 2014. She has been a member of the Falam Christian Fellowship Singapore Literature Committee since 2016. Her writing has been printed in many magazines. Her writing and work can be found on her Facebook page “Len Lai Par”.
Alex Chan (Yu Fan) is the Vice President of the Singapore Literature and Art Association, editor of ‘Singapore Literature and Art Newspaper’, and has published eight collections of poetry and one collection of prose poems. He is the winner of the 2022 Singapore Literature Award (Poetry), the Fang Xiu Literature Award, the Taiwan Poetics Creation Award for Prose Poetry, and the Taiwan “Chinese Modern Poetry 5th Anniversary Poetry Award", among other accolades.
Huihui Lan 藍慧惠 or KairosL is a poet and interfaith occupational therapist based in Asia and Australia with a focus on artivism -- art in activism. Having performed for the Commonwealth Games and been featured on Mother Tongue Multilingual PoetryAustralia, Huihui has also snagged Best Lyrics Awards in national and XQRJ regional songwriting competitions. Born on the tropical equator of Singapore, she is looking forward to publishing her works in the coming year centred on regenerative living arts x health. (Instagram @nilioren)