silent voices; if only we had voices that could be heard

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.