我对着鱼缸说国语
每一个元音像风打在镜里
每一次顿挫像蚊子在跳舞
对下腕表，每一秒都风起云涌
1950英语是殖民地语
想象着国语 我们来讲马来语
1965国语：英语 马来语 双语？
地图到处烟云，每一处如何安身立命
联邦 州府 马来亚 马来西亚
台湾 中华民国
石叻坡 星州 新加坡
请跟我念
国家——国 家
你有你的 我有我的国语
字正腔圆，绝非官话
我们坐在圆桌旁练习说国语
鱼在圆圆的鱼缸嘟着圆圆的金鱼嘴
鱼如舌在口腔中，蠕动如蛇
有时圆唇，有时不圆唇
圆唇时
是鱼 是语 是马来语 是 ü
不圆唇时
是 ikan 是 English 是 Inilah Singapura
Chow Teck Seng aka
Zhou Decheng (周德成), writes poetry primarily in Chinese and has won awards such as the Singapore Literature Prize (2014) and Golden Point Award (2009). Frequently contributing to literary journals, anthologies and the Chinese press in Singapore and abroad, his poems in English translation are found in “& WORDS”, “UNION” (Ethos), “SG Poems 2015-6” and "poetry at sangum” and are adapted as short films by Laselle students (2017). A former lecturer (Chinese-language Literature) at NUS and NIE, he is currently pursuing a PhD at Cambridge University.
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
