我们假设了永久冷藏如此
坚固不疑。没有察觉它的死亡
尽管打开门时还有微微的光线
冷却器已经不再排热，如同老旧
电影封印的风韵犹存证明昔日
影星都已阵亡，以及古老配乐的
疲惫不堪。拒绝降温的啤酒暗示
这个结局的必要。或者一种无法
从心头抹去的不安
你提醒我食物疏散的必要。有关
肉类腐烂的轻易，必须立刻料理
用热油的宰杀掩饰无法挽回的死亡
无法烹饪的多余只好任由温度吞噬
或者隐藏在陌生人肚子里，以逃避
苍蝇的徘徊。我质问鸡蛋的命运
保持现状吗？等待破裂以揭发它是否
变臭，或者新鲜如同早餐的回忆。还是
重新给它们机会？让拥抱的热能
尝试把它们孵化。你的沉默
映衬了问题的飞身堕落。答案
随着不久未来的炒饭沮丧。蔬菜
暂时就置之不理，尽管蛆虫预见
枯黄后无法挽救的腐蚀
我以为冰块的溶化已经干涸了过去
然而，冰箱内侧溢出的调味料哭泣了
以往的无意撒落。让多次无意间开启
被掏空冰箱的门的我进行了一场
五味杂陈的悼念仪式。死亡吊诡
让我闻到了生命的证据，滋味曾经
不以为然的庸俗幸福和我们的忽略
生活继续的必然和市侩的电器店
商量了新冰箱的来临。搬运工人
把死去的冰箱抬走时，我看见
一种灵魂的转换。在保证书上
有效日期的怂恿下，一个装满真空
还未打开的罐头取代另一个
装满真空再度封上的罐头
Tan Wah Pheow (陈华彪) is a bilingual writer who wrote mainly in Chinese, sparsely in English, and specialises in poetry and short stories. He has a Ph.D. in Psychology with a minor in Statistics, and currently heads a behavioural science research centre at a local polytechnic. He is self-described as someone who thinks scientifically and attempts (clumsily) at artistic self-expression. With respect to creative writing, he is currently on a hiatus (because work + kids + life), and will probably resume his creative endeavours when the kids grow up and start ignoring him. He enjoys scientific research, reading, basketball and street photography.
Valen Lim is an active member of Singapore-based literary collective /stop@BadEndRhymes ('/s@ber'), kindly supported by literary charity Sing Lit Station. His work has been published in Eunoia Review, Mistake House, Quarterly Literature Review Singapore, The Galway Review and elsewhere. Last year, his manuscript
Confession Which Begins in Childhood and other poems clinched 3rd Place in the biennial Golden Point Award.
http://uglystage.com
