David Wong Hsien Ming (b. 1988)
SELECTED POEMS
Augury
After securing gold
we made gold our security
and security a golden calf.After the storm soaked our blankets
and lightning kissed the calf,
we took up hammers.We ground the gold into power
and our children watched us drink it.
When we died, all we left them with
was turmeric.They boiled it into dye
but ran out of cloth. Feeling unsafe,
they tried making love, but ran out of ways.Out of love, our children made idols
of children. When asked about the sky
they said skyscrapers' the limit.When asked about the future,
they bought mosquitoes in amber.
An heirloom from another golden age.
by David Wong Hsien Ming
from A Luxury We Must Afford (2016, eds. Christine Chia, Joshua Ip, Cheryl Julia Lee)
