silent if only we had voices that could be heard
voices
The stories of our lives, Enclosed in the following pages. As much as we might strive, Our beauties fade with ages.
A poetry book on the 10 common wayside trees in Singapore, spoken in our voices.
1
S A M A N E A N S AM AN
Highly appreciated Highly appreciated pink flowers, noticeable amidst a forest highlyhighly competed. forest competed
highly competed
apparent
small details become apparent
small details become apparent A fissured bark and a bird’s nest, making heads turn.
making heads turn
Once my flowers drop Once my flowers drop as the dry season arrives
Once my flowers drop
no longer
Attention and notice is no longer what I derive.
no longer what i derive
Nothing last forever, nothing last forever nothing last forever
Just like my beauty perceiver.
2
FA GR A E A F R AGR AN T
As i age, decaying almost
As I age, my sturdy looking bark chips, Looking almost decaying at sight. Delicious looking berries hanging tall
Will soon drop Will soon drop all over the floor over the floor drop allall over of beauty faรงade
Amidst the faรงade of beauty
no longer
Which is is no longer my duty. Which no longer my duty Which is no longer my duty
only attractive fragrances
My only attractive fragrances that emanates from flowers Only lasts a week at max only
Only lasts a week at max
sours
before before it it sours.
3
KHAYA S E N E GAL ENSI S
come toa apparent me reason come to me for only only when i am full of pollen
Insects all come to me for a apparent reason.
That is only when I am full of pollen.
When the pollen disappears
left alone
left alone with tears. left aloneI amwith tears
Everyone
turns ugly
When my fruit ripens, even the color turns ugly.
Everyone
avoids me because I am so unsightly. avoids me beacause i am so unsighly.
unsightly Short
irregular flowering season irregular flowering season
Prevents visitors from a lasting impression.
S YZ GIU M GR ANDE
Forever beauty
is a myth
is a myth
decaying leaves
Beautiful flowers among the decaying leaves
alive The near future of it in full sight. full sight
Even if these flowers are alive,
The near future of it in full sight.
People notices the flowers on me.
drops
onceButitonce it drops
I am alone and lonely.
All the beauty on the tree,
All the beauty on the tree, Will soon amount to
nothing nothing to see.
5
A D E N AT H E R A PAVONI NA
fall out
As my seedpod fall out of suspension,
attention
My heart shaped seeds hold their attention.
My heart shaped seeds hold their attention.
The period of my beauty
short. is short
attention is caught.
When the red dot appears, attention is caught.
eternity love
People associate my seed with eternity love
they don’t love me eternity eternity People associate my seed with eternity love Ironically, they don’t love me eternally,
My beauty only lasts when my seed split
not when it’s healthy and green on the tree.
not when it’s healthy and green on the tree.
6
T E R M IN A LI A C ATAP PA
Large leaves turn yellow and orange and red
dead brown leaves
Lying on a dead brown leaves bed.
Lying on a dead dead brownbrown leaves leaves bed. bed. Although
the leaves turn an attractive shade of red,
attractive shade of red,
Once fallen, people see it as
dead.
Once fallen, people see it as
dead.
My edible seeds kernels tastes like almond,
nobody
But nobody will really notice it’s existence.
really notice it’s existence.
When the seeds drop onto the pavement
even further away
even further Beauty is even further away
Beauty us even further away
from my containmen.
TA BE D U IA R O SEA
pink and white
My flowers, an exodus of pink and white.
an exodus of pink and white
They are beautiful and sakura-like.
beautiful and sakura-like But when I am not flowering,
standing alone I am merely standing alone.
I am merely standing alone,
cowering.
My flowers are trumpet-shaped and attractive My flowers are trumpet-shaped and attractive
makes me defective
But it falls off and makes me defective.
it falls off and makes me defective
exclaim in awe
People exclaims in awe People exclaims in awe
when the trumpet of my flowers sound.
last forever now. But that does not last forever, it is only a matter of now.
8
S WI E T E N IA MAC R O P H Y L I A
surround
People surround me when my crown is obvious But when my leaves fall off,
they are oblivious. they are oblivious. they are oblivious.
not enough
When there is not enough rainfall,
My leaves are definitely going to My leaves are definitely going to
definitely going to fall.
Pink to dark green leaves
distracts.
which distracts
Upon withering, distraction cannot be attract. distraction cannot be attract.
cannot be attract
My large heavy brown fruit pods,
Will cease to exists when it explodes. cease to exist Will cease to exists when it explodes.
9
PE LT O PH O R UM P T ER OCAR P UM
My beautiful yellow blossom which resembles tissue paper
beautiful yellow blossom Upon falling.
transparency
resembles transparency like water vapor.
resembles transparency like water vapour
I not am not loved all year round loved
Despite my adaptability to local climate, I am not loved all year round.
only when
It is only when the yellow flames when theblossom, yellow flames blossom, Will people turn their cameras at me.
I wonder
Sometimes I wonder
if adaptability was worth it. if adaptability was worth it.
still succumb pressures of wilt. As I still succumb to the pressures of wilt.
10 PT E R O C A R PU S I NDI CUS
for a day and Blooming raining down the next.
Blooming for a day and
raining down the next.
All the beauty fades. All the beauty in that day
fades.
My yellow flowers are of faint fragrance But one day is all that remains of such essence. But one day is all that remains of such of essence. remains such
essence.
I associate myself with my unique flatten pod
never as attractive But never as attractive
as my flowering lot.
Beauty Beauty and attention for a day, Beauty and attention for a day, and attention They were neever here to stay. never here to stay. They are never here to stay.
These are our stories. Filled with emotions, yet left unspoken. If only we had voices that could be heard.
silent voices; if only we had a voice that could be heard First published in 2012 by Tong Wei Yue Danielle Printed By Tong Wei Yue Danielle Printed in Singapore All rights reserved Š Tong Wei Yue Danielle The right of Tong Wei Yue Danielle to be identified as author of this work This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.