Day 3 - Poems inspired by Sandy

WATCHING THE SCENE GO BY
FROM THE HOTEL LOBBY OF
FAIRFIELD INN IN WOBURN, MA...

"The only thing I like about staying in the hotel today was when we were at the lobby and we did a visualisation exercise. It was a time when my senses heightened and it felt peaceful. I don't get to do this because in Singapore, we are always rushing to place and have no time to ponder about life."

- Sheryl Lim

Sheryl Lim's reflection

More exploratory work...

A collection of sensorial experiences

SAMPLES OF COMPLETED POEMS

Raindrops

Riding with the wind,

A ticklish feel,

Icy cold droplets.

Noisy rustling leaves

Drifting to the ground,

Ruffled by the gusty wind

Over the gloomy sky

Petals like raindrops

Swirling in the sky.

~Clara Poh, 4/2

Hurricane Sandy
A gentle kiss
A kiss that woke up all the senses in my body
A body that was already overcome by the coldness
A coldness that was unforgiving to an Asian.

No one knew the severity
No one was prepared
But as Sandy came to Boston to pay a visit
Everyone fled.

We wanted to say hello
But the nippy winds and the thread-like rain
Weren't the best of hosts
A gentle kiss and a rude wake up call
Weren't the best of friends.

~Amal, 3/4

Friend or Foe?
Its speed increases rapidly,
Comes together with sweet gentle tears.
Is it a friend or foe?

It hits the trees,
Making them sway left and right
It becomes colder in the night.

As Sandy passes by,
I see my life move forward.
I remember to live
In the moment.

~Elijah Raj, 4/2

Shake and Shiver
Limbs sway, worshipping the rain,
Wind blows a chilling sonata
Clutching the branches steadily,
Trees shed their coat.

Mechanical machines rush on the roads
As their engine breathe out hot air
All scurrying to the warmth of their homes
Except for us, at a standstill here.

Glee distinct on our faces
As curious people, we open the dorrs
A gush of wind we feel
As rain continues to patter.

Excitement and awe make their mark
Even as we shake and shiver.

~Sim Jia Min, 3/4

 HELLO
Leaves rustling in the distance
Fallen leaves all crisp and dry.
Scattered all over the ground,
A gush of wind helps them go by.

I stand behind the window,
Watching the trees move and sway
Not venturing out of my haven
For fear I will be swept away as well.

Raindrops fall, slanted from the sky
So different from what I am used to.
The wind picks up speed gradually,
"Hello," says Sandy.

~Nur Aqilah, 4/3

A Dance in the Wind
trees dancing to the wind
some willingly, bending,
and swaying like reeds
some seemingly forced.
resisting the might of the wind,
their branches become bare
their limbs become cold.
the wind is sudden.
the wind brings change.
nature stands against change,
and risks it all.
or sways,
never breaking
under the pressure.

it came so suddenly,
out of the blue.

~Goh Muxi, 3/8

An Ode to Sandy
My two brethens,
One standing on each side.
Either one with stories to tell,
In autumn no secrets to hide.

In spring, we are all in our prime,
Lusciously green and swollen with fruits.
But soon we change,
With the passing of time.

In autumn we stand,
Our differences so bold to see.
All three of us succumb to change,
And here the first brethen comes to be.

He stands in the menthol breeze,
Stiff and unyielding.
But he is bare now,
The chill biting his naked, bone-thin being.

The second brethen enjoys change,
And sets a majestic golden crown upon his head.
He is merry, though most of his strength has left,
And his children dance whenever the flute of the wind plays.

I am still the green I had since spring,
For I am different from the rest.
My leaves were needle-like and tough,
Enduring the harsh cold was barely a test.

Water I could store
And that I did for the long winter to come.
Heat I had to conserve,
And my leaves I packed in a tight dome.

My first brethen was earliest to crumble,
The second breezed through Autumn's game
I uphold thrift carefully
And prepare myself before Winter comes.

~Felicia Chow, 3/8