Coronavirus Poems
The Nones of April.
April is the month of SingPoWriMo, where writers and would-be poets in Singapore descend on Facebook to submit poetic entries to daily prompts. Yes, daily prompts. That translates to an average output of a poem a day. No one’s timing. You wouldn’t want to let things pile up though. It gets harder and harder each day. We are not machines!
I participated l̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r in 2018 but failed to meet the full 30 poems of the month, lasting a grand total of five days — although, there were encouraging submissions that I was proud of, and new and existing structural forms that I learnt about. The experience was almost transcendental and it was hugely affirming to discover such a vibrant community of wordsmiths and curators on our little island. To quote a famous poet in the group, I think it was Joshua Ip who said, “There is almost a renaissance of poetry and writing in Singapore.”
That’s the other ultra-cool thing about SingPoWriMo, you’ll see a lot of published writers (Ng Yi-Sheng, the afore-mentioned Joshua Ip, amongst other luminaries) and authors big in the local writing scene participating and providing feedback, which I think is wonderful for creating a safe and creative space for young, local talent, such as myself. Ahem.
I only wish they have something of a better platform than Facebook to showcase the works of all the participants. Perhaps a self-hosted website with folios on each year and records of each prompt. Mmmm. Food for thought as a future coronavirus-induced stay-at-home project.
This year, I hadn’t plan to commit to SingPoWriMo, even though it’s an even year and I usually participate in something fun such as this or Code Jam. Why even years? Because alternating and taking a break is good and I’m mildly superstitious. Perhaps I was slightly dissuaded by the previous years’ difficulties, understanding the commitment needed, but also because yours truly is currently juggling multiple items, the most pressing of which is trying to finish a project that will allow her to graduate. However, distractions are necessary, fun and welcome. The Straits Times has opened a call for COVID-19 related poetry (and prose) that can be “an attempt to cheer people up, a sobering reminder or a rallying cry”.
So I’ll take the prompt. Without further ado, here are some attempts at poetry in the time of corona. (Overused trope, yes. The original is Love In the Time of Cholera by one Gabriel García Márquez, a magic realist incidentally whom this student wrote about for her Secondary 2 Literature mid-year project. Hail the Singapore education system.)
One form that I was fascinated by but didn’t have a chance to flesh out before is the twin cinema, originating from Singapore. I kid you not. This is as inventive as poetic invention gets. I think this has to be on every Singapore child’s literature syllabus.
In the original form by Yeow Kai Chai, they are just two columns of disparate but usually thematically linked poems. In the modern form popularised by David Wong, the reader is encouraged to read through the poems both horizontally, and as two separate columns. The columns and rows provide a structure to contrast similarities and compare differences.
They can also be used to develop a twist; perhaps reading the columns together gives the reader a new insight to the situation that was not previously revealed in each single column. For example, if one column negates what the other column said, as in the third last line in this one on Genghis Khan by JI.
It’s a useful tool to show two, or more sides of the same situation from different perspectives, and then show how these perspectives come together to form a whole scene.
I’ve put my twin cinemas in a table as I do not have a Text Editor that formats in columns. Shame on me, yes.
COVID-19 Poem #1:
COVID-19 Poem #2:
COVID-19 Poem #3:
COVID-19 Poem #4:
Poem #4 is an expansion of Poem #1.
Usually, I wilfully ignore everything COVID-19 related in my feed as it inundates every single one of my communication channels; be it Programming Notes, French Study Class, even, or perhaps especially, Food and Travel.
Again, I’d admit it is arguably rather despicable of me to use such a serious, potentially raw and fresh topic as creative fodder — I’ve never worked in the healthcare, transport, business or security sectors most affected by COVID-19, so a lot of the above is just something I’m conjuring from my imagination or perceived observation, rather than from hard-won personal experience. But since The Straits Times says I can, who can stop me? Aha. Still, do remember these are just the technical explorations of one person, rather than an opus by an entire generation.
If we lighten the mood by only a little, and bask in the constraints and endless possibilities of a homegrown poetic form, perhaps you may have discovered a good vehicle for your future expression — and hopefully this will bring some form of diversion to your prolonged stay at home. And hopefully, there won’t be too many corona-virus themed posts by me in the future.
More Viral Inspirations
Incidentally, the good folk at SingPoWriMo have tongue-in-cheekedly introduced a new form that draws inspiration from our current predicament: the coronasonnet. Coronasonnets are ‘infected’ by other poems, introducing two lines from the source of infection into the new poem.
On A More Serious Note
What can an average citizen do but stay home, stay calm and stay safe? I’m in no mood to be a hero, and neither do I aspire to be one. There have been many heart-warming stories of Singaporeans who have risked their lives, spent their resources and time or worked tirelessly to support and bring necessities to those who need them. There are civil servants working round the clock to provide a service, however small, in whatever way they can, to the citizens. It is a testament to the strength, maturity and cohesion of our society. I salute them. I’m humbled by them. But the war is not over, and I’m not one of them.
Risking the danger of repeating what you’ve been hearing everywhere else: That means this is the time where everyone, myself included, can play their part, or do what we can in our own, however small way. This might mean keeping yourself and your loved ones healthy. This might mean staying calm and not depriving others of necessities they need. This might mean adjusting to new lifestyles and social norms. Entertaining and cheering with song and dance (but from home), if you’d like. Smiling at but not touching your neighbour. Helping out where possible within your means and within reason. The last one is a bonus, not a must. I think there are so many out there far more qualified than myself to comment on these.
Jiayou, all. With love, from Sam.
