Kit Siew's Poems 1

abracadabra

2026-11-06

If only
We could just say
Abracadabra
And all our troubles go away

Abracadabra Kazam
With a flourish of the hands
This extra measure
To make double sure
Our wishes come true

But what if
Your wishes came true
And you begin to rue
Oh no
What to do

Things we sought
Things we fought
Who would have thought
Now we want not

Isn’t it weird
Isn’t it absurd
Isn’t it strange
How we can change

Easy come
But not easy go
So be careful
When you are wishful
And remember not to say
Abracadabra
For you never know
How things can go

zoos

2026-11-05

Zoos originally
Were private menageries
Of wild exotic animals
Symbols of power and luxury
Owned by royalty

Then Zoos became places
Filled with cages
Animals were there
For all to stare
No privacy
No decency

Now they are for conservation
Habitats for rehabilitation
Before extinction
For the education
Of future generations

During recess break
Students loud and chaotic
Some people refer to school
Like being a zoo

And do you recall the song
We sang when we were young
We sang at birthdays
About me and you
About being born in the zoo

flowers and life

2026-11-05

花无百日红，人无千日好
Huā wú bǎi rì hóng, rén wú qiān rì hǎo. (Mandarin)
Faa mou baak jat hung, jan mou cin jat hou. (Cantonese)

Flowers cannot bloom forever. Life cannot be good all the time. We all have good days and bad days. That’s life!

Life
By Yuen Kit Siew
(5 October 2026)

When were young
And we were strong
Everything was easily done
But what if youth has gone

Real flowers can’t bloom forever
Those that do are made of paper
And I would rather
Have real flowers that wither

Love or hate
Early or late
Life has an expiry date
This is everyone ’s fate

Good days
Bad days
Easy days
Rough days
I cherish the range
I cherish the change
They make me strive
They make me feel alive

yucky

2026-11-04

Water that is murky
The odour is smelly
Feels so slimy
Oh so Yucky

When it is rainy
Ground is muddy
Shoes became sticky
Clothes became dirty
Oh so Yucky

When we were little
Snot and spittle
Was fun and gooey
We didn’t think them Yucky

Making mud pies
Making a little mess
They looked yummy
Though not tasty
We didn’t think them Yucky

Scraped knees
Bloody nose bleeds
Fingers Itchy
Yellow pus
What’s the fuss
We didn’t think them Yucky

Swatting house flies
Squishing house flies
Like winning a prize
We felt lucky
We didn’t think them Yucky

Isn’t it weird
Isn’t it absurd
To go from plucky
To become picky
Now isn’t life funny

family harmony

2026-11-04

家和萬事興
Gaa wo maan si hing (Cantonese)
Jiā hé wàn shì xīng (Mandarin)

家– home.
和 – Harmony
万事 – Everything matters.
兴 – Prosper

Family Harmony
By Yuen Kit Siew
(4 November 2026)

The Family
Used to be
Many with the same
Surname
Many generations
Of close relations

Living in the same house
Sharing resources
This gives rise to squabbles
All sorts of troubles

Yet if everyone worked together
Helping each other
Everyone needed to be
Thinking of we
Instead of just me

And the family
Living peacefully
And in harmony
Experiences prosperity
Even though they live in poverty

Now families are smaller
It should be easier
To live in harmony
To enjoy prosperity

So don’t forget
Don’t neglect
To build harmony
In your family

xenophilia

2026-11-03

Those who know me
Know that I am a busybody
I love meeting people
I love listening to their story
And learn about their history

Other people travel
To see awesome views
I travel to see
People grown up from a different view

I hope that I may
Understand what they say
What is on their news
What are their views
What to them is usual
That I may find unusual

And even if I don’t travel
I still get to learn and marvel
The different cultures
Of many peoples
From different places

For we are very lucky
That so many
To Singapore they have come
To earn an income

To study
To start a business
Bringing such richness
To this small country

Xenophilia
A new word I learned today
I find that it describes me
Exactly ‘To a T’

cherish

2026-11-03

惜缘惜福
Xī yuán xī fú (Mandarin)
Sik yun sik fuk (Cantonese)

My parents taught me the lesson
To always question
To always reason

To take time to think
And let ideas sink
To not take kindly
To those who expect you to follow blindly

Love and hate
It is a blessing if we cherish our fate
But as not all things are set in stone
Somethings may depend on you alone

But if we are humble
Even if we stumble
It may not be true every time
But it is true most times

Cherish our connections
Cherish our blessings
Wisdom through the years
Wisdom learned from tears

whimsical

2026-11-02

I love the logical
I love practical
I love reality
Over fantasy

But we don’t always
Have to be serious
To be capable
To be sensible

I love the not so perfect
I loved the unmatched
The strange combination
In my imagination

I love the playful
The fanciful
The funny
And the kooky
The magical
The slightly nonsensical

The capricious
Can be precious
So let us embrace
The quirkiness
The imaginative
The creative
The Whimsical in all of us

valleys

2026-11-01

What is a valley
In Geography
It is easy
V-shaped formed by rivers
U-shaped formed by glaciers
And when tectonic plates shift
The valley formed is called a Rift

Valleys
In History
Is where the civilisation of Man
All around the world began

Valleys with rivers
Trade and travel
Water and rich soil
Man began to toil
And build communities

Some view the valley
As dark and gloomy
They only seek
The peaks
Both literally
And metaphorically

And for some
To the valley they have come
To rest and enjoy
After their toil
A place
At the end of a race

Yet I still want the thrill
Of climbing another hill
I still yearn
To learn

When I am tired of excitement
When I just want contentment
I do know
It is to the valley I will go

useful

2026-10-31

Anything useful
Is beautiful
Perhaps not to everyone
But at least to someone

Imagine you are in quicksand
Sinking deep
But positive you keep
Even though this could be the end

A snake on a tree
Stretches out to you
Ready to bite
What do you do

You reach out in delight
You reach out with all your might
The snake is hope
You can use it like a rope
The snake is useful
To you it is beautiful

Let us be kind
And you will find
Everything is special
Everything can be useful
Everything is beautiful

time

2026-10-30

Time continues to flow
Like an arrow
In one direction
An irreversible progression
Of our existence

The theory of relativity
A twentieth century discovery
Einstein’s equations
Even with time dilation
Proof that there’s no way
For time to go the other way

Yet we like to say
Not today
Let’s do this tomorrow
But we really don’t know
What will follow

We like to plan
But we don’t know when
When we will finally go
And leave this world

Let us be courageous
Let us be adventurous
Let us not rue
But make our dreams come true
Life is precarious
And time is precious

Let us not forget
Let us not neglect
To give praise
That time doesn’t erase
The warm memories that last
Though time has long past

silence

2026-10-29

Silence is the absence of sound
But I have found
Perhaps it is only to me
Silence is not that simple

Silence can be strange
It has a range
Gentle and soft
It can be a comfort
Aloof and proud
This Silence can be loud

Silence is complex
Leaves me perplexed
In the silence
I can hear my inner voice
Yet too much silence
My frantic mind fills with noise
And I lose my confidence

And the silent treatment
Can be used like a weapon
Can be more violent
Than a loud reaction

As I sit in silence
Thoughts on silence
I hope to find a balance
As I write in silence
My feelings expressed in silence

roses

2026-10-28

Roses
Fill the senses
So beautiful
So colourful
Perfumed fragrance
Elegant with grace

Roses symbolise
Love and romance
Many use the rose
When love they profess
When marriage they propose

Biting a rose
Striking a pose
Dancing the tango
The rose is sensual
The rose is exotic
Oh so erotic

The Little Prince
And his Rose
The Beast and Beauty
A kind of maturity
A different kind of beauty

Roses have thorns that prick
Making them difficult to pick
These thorns are useful
These thorns let the rose bramble
All over to ramble

If I could be a rose
The briar rose
I would choose
Some consider it weedy
So tough and hardy
Simple like a child
But free and a little wild

Like poetry
And prose
Some hate the rose
Some love the rose
But few can deny its beauty

quest

2026-10-27

What is my quest
I would never have guessed
So long ago
What did I know

But I did know
I didn’t like the idea
I didn’t want to be
Like Don Quixote

What is one’s quest
How to invest
Amid the strife
In our goal in life

To find our cause
We need to pause
To jump in and out
To look about
To find something we enjoy
Where hard work is not toil

I have found my quest
It is not a test
Not a contest
But just caring for the rest
That requires my best

This quest to give
Helping in others’ lives
Gives me the drive
So grateful to be alive

patterns

2026-10-26

Patterns are everywhere
Some so obvious
Some we are oblivious
And we need to search with care

Soothing mood
Of dappled woods
Lovely in sunlight
And in moonlight
Patterns made
By bright and shade

Spirals in galaxies
Fractals in fern leaves
Beautiful snow flakes
Patterns that nature makes

Mandala Patterns
Geometric patterns
Fibonacci’s sequences
Many consequences
Sacred patterns
Nature’s mode
Nature’s efficiency code

Water cycle
Carnot cycle
Life cycle
Cyclic patterns
Beautiful patterns
Useful patterns

Weather patterns
Behavioral patterns
Observing patterns
Allows accurate predictions
For appropriate actions

orange

2026-10-25

Freshly squeezed
Orange juice
Sweet and sour
Orange power
A great way
To start the day

When it was hot
A sweet treat
Nothing could beat
Was Green Spot
Childhood treats
Childhood feasts

While amber lights are flashing
We start dashing
Requires little skill
Childish thrills
Now fill me with the chills

But I still love
Looking at the sky above
Lost in wonder
Basking under
Orange coloured skies
The last splendour
Before the day dies

And the next day
The sun will rise
Orange skies
And orange juice
And praise for the new day

normal

2026-10-24

Is Normal
The usual
And all must conform
To the norm

In Mathematics
And in Physics
Normal is exactly
Normal is precisely
Ninety degrees
To the surface

Normal distribution curves
What do they serve
We must question
We must reason
How to decipher
Reason with care

Is Normal arbitrary
Can it be applied to all and sundry
Is Normal good
What is understood
Is it strange
To have a range

So we need to take care
To be fair
When we judge
Can we budge
To make all
Be accepted as Normal
Yet embrace
The difference

money

2026-10-23

Money
Is not easy
Not simple
To most people

The greedy
Want more money
The poor
Need more

Too much
And you need to think such and such
Quite a bore
Quite a chore

But too little money
Is not easy
It’s even worse
For most of us

In times of plenty
We need to be practical
We need to be rational
With our financial

What is correct
Is suspect
But money we must respect
Money we cannot neglect

So let us not worry
But let us also not be sorry
Money is currency
Money is agency
We need money during emergency

leaves

2026-10-22

Leaves seem to cower
Beside the flower
They seem to hide
Into the background they fade
Always the bridesmaid
Never the bride

Instead of a thing of beauty
We think of leaves as utility
Oxygen they produce
Carbon dioxide they reduce
The food factory

And we only gaze in wonder
When they start to wither
Yellow, orange and red
The beautiful autumn colours

And we know
That the snow
Will soon follow
But after the snow
Leaves start to grow
Leaves so humble
Yet so essential

kites

2026-10-21

Kite flying to some
Releases boredom
Expresses freedom
And artistic expression

Kites in the air
Flying with such flair
Oh so beautiful
Oh so colourful

Kites in the air
To people I compare
The colourful and buoyant
People who are flamboyant
Kites that droop and dip
The meek and thebtimid

And what about the plight
Of a kite fight
A contest of might
A thrilling sight

This past time of yore
Many will know no more
Soon forgotten
Replaced by drones
Replaced by hand phones

jewels

2026-10-20

Sapphires and emeralds
Diamonds, rubies and jade
All these are jewels
Jewels that we marvel

Jewels are precious
Jewels are treasures
Jewels are rare
They are not only beautiful
Many think them magical
Many think them powerful

Jewels come from gemstones
Gemstones from rock stones
And rock stones can be found
Deep in the ground

Similarly we can find
Jewels in the mind
Knowledge from learning
Wisdom from living

The Jewels of my heart
Oh where do I start
Family and friends
The list never ends
For this I know
This list continues to grow

itch

2026-10-19

Before I had begun
I thought of the fun
Writing about Itch
My lips started to twitch

An itch is a physical sensation
That needs our immediate attention
A small pricking
Yet so irritating

We should be happy
When a wound feels itchy
For the wound is healing
But we soon start scratching
And the wound starts bleeding

An itch is not just physical
But metaphorical
The itch to travel
To see the world’s marvels

The eager
Desire
To experience new things
To change something

In fun I started writing
But soon got thinking
Like Socrates the Gadfly
Who questioned why
Itch is not something superficial
But perhaps it is essential
For our very survival

gentle

2026-10-18

I hope
To develop
The gentle
In me

Gentle teaching
Kind and caring
Soft and soothing
And forgiving

Thoughtful awareness
Cherishing others
Compassion and Empathy
And humility

Gentle is patience
Gentle is tenderness
Gentle is kindness
Gentle is softness

For those who know
Gentle is not weakness
For a gentle choice
Is strength under control

happiness

2026-10-18

Many seek Happiness
They search high and low
Hoping to find it tomorrow
Yet to their sorrow
To their horror
Either unable to grasp
Or already left their clasp

So where does happiness reside
Contentment is happiness inside
Joy is happiness expressed outside
Satisfaction is the happy outcome
When we solve a difficult problem

Happiness moves nearer
When others you consider
Happiness moves away
When you keep others at bay

Happiness is beside us
When we help others
When we don’t just focus
All the attention on us

So when you are not seeking
When you are least expecting
Happiness is found
All around

do re mi

2026-10-18

Do Re Mi
These three
Are the daughters
Of our next door neighbours

If I am not mistaken
If I have not forgotten
It was at the end
Of 2007
This family from Kuala Lumpur
Moved into the house next door

My husband said it was simply
Too many names to remember
So he named these three
Do, Re and Mi

I didn’t only see them everyday
I saw them several times a day
Childish drawings and happy noise
Soon filled our quiet little house

They loved to help me
Clean and tidy
They fought each other
Over
Who gets to clean my floor

The teacher in me
Could see
Do Re Mi
Were as different as can be

Mi the little toddler
Acted so much older
So capable
Would scold and grumble
As she arranged our shoes into order

Re would give shy looks
When she looks up from her books
This quiet child
Was a darling child

And Do, where do I start
This child who stole my heart
Full of pain and rage
Misunderstood because
She was much taller than her age

Now all the girls have grown
Re has grown to be a beauty
Do is happily married
Mi got a job before twenty
How fast the years have flown

I hope I am not going crazy
But as I write this poem down
In my mind’s eye I see
Children cycling round
And around me

At that old familiar place
With that path that looks like infinity
I see new faces
The children are not you three

For as they pass me
I hear them calling “Great Aunty”
And I
Am calling out “Fa So La Ti”

fantasy

2026-10-16

Fantasy
Made up stories
Elves and fairies
And anything we fancy

The spooky
The crazy
Creations
Fiction
Based on imagination

The romantic
The tragic
Artistic
Aesthetics

Different points of view
Are nothing new
I can accept
But I do object
To alternate facts
To fake news

Fact or fiction
The distinction
Has became blurry
And this I do worry

I worry about our youth
And the distortion of truth
About how Fantasy
May became the new reality

enchanted

2026-10-15

Eyes sparkling
Jaws dropping
The open joy
The wide eyed awe
So common among
Children when young

A world of fascination
Beyond the imagination
A world of excitement
The delight of enchantment

But enchanted became passè
And we became blasè
Lost to supposed reality
Lost to being busy

Yet the world is full of mystery
Full of so much beauty
Awaiting our curiosity
Waiting for discovery

dawn

2026-10-14

I want the dimness
Before the brightness
Before the glare
Is everywhere

I want the quietness
Before it leaves
Before the day gets noisy
Before things get hazy
Before the day gets busy

I want to feel the calmness
I want the peace
I want the space
The time to reflect
On yesterday’s neglect

When I wake up with the larks
I start to get the sparks
I want to plan
I want amend

And finally
Enjoying with coffee
That indulgent feeling of lazy
Before the day becomes crazy

I want Dawn
Before it is gone
Yet I also long
For the coming Dawn

colours

2026-10-13

I love Colours
Familiar Colours
Colours that are new
So many shades
So many hues

Colour is subjective
Positive and negative
It can be neutral
Figurative or literal

Like gaudy colours
Buffets are considered low taste
But I love buffets
For not only can I savour
The many flavours
But also the many colours

Colours can reflect my mood
Colours can change mood
I wear bright colours when sad
I wear bright colours when glad
So my colour choice
Is also my voice

blood

2026-10-12

During teenage, Blood
Into my life flooded
With monthly cramps
Soiled skirts washed and damp
Major nuisance
Until we learned of blood’s importance

This complex system of blood cells
Blood streams and blood vessels
Removes waste and brings sustenance
They maintain life’s delicate balance

When blood doesn’t flow
When cancer is at stage four
We are reminded of this balance
Of blood’s importance

At a shop recently
I saw a toy that is toothy
It brought back recollections
Of painful tooth extractions
Oh Labubu
How I feel for you
Memories of childhood
Memories of blood

abyss

2026-10-11

What is Abyss
Oh how to list
Literal or figurative
Positive and negative

Those who know me
Know the phobias in me
Fear of heights or Acrophobia
Fear of falling or Basophobia

Yet despite these
I love the feelings Abyss gives
That feeling of the thrill
That brings some chill
Feelings a bit scary
That feeling of curiously

Someone who gives up too easy
With fingers in far too many
I don’t want to miss
Jumping into an Abyss
Like Jack in the box
I won’t get lost

agenda

2026-10-11

Agenda used to be a tool
We used in school
A list of things to do
Goals to set
Before we forget

But somehow along the way
It became negative and nasty
Like what I learned yesterday
About the new meaning of zesty

I long for the old days
The straight forward ways
Please let Agenda be
What it used to be.

zest

2026-10-10

I took some rest
Reduced over stimulation
Increased my relaxation
And again found Zest

The zip and the zing
The fluttering
Of butterfly wings
The things that make me sing

Things that were lost and faint
Have become piquant again
The heart beating wild
The excitement of a child

No longer in a race
Writing at own pace
I try my best
To pass on Zest

Like the zest
From the rind
I hope you will find
The fragrance
The essence
The zest in the mind

yesteryear

2026-10-09

The Nineteen Sixties
My earliest memories
In school we wore
Brown pinafore
Pinafores that reached the knees

Soon the Seventies
Fashion was crazy
Dresses changed to Minies
Then to Maxies and finally Midies
Shoe heels became platforms
Pants became bell bottoms
And the A Go Go
Was replaced by Disco
From large curls to Afro

The Eighties were
Early adult years
From studying at Convent school
To teaching at Neighbourhood school

In the Nineties
Midlife crisis
New company
Instead of fixed salary

Now I wear Pinafores
Back like before
But mistakes of Yesteryear
I hope they don’t reappear
I hope you won’t see me
Ever again wearing Mini
Or purple A Go Go shoes

x

2026-10-08

The symbol X
Is both simple and complex
Means many different things
And even opposite things

We mark wrong answers with X
Yet vote for our leaders with an X
We name those unknown X
Yet a spot marked with X
Its place is exact

Fingers crossed
When we hope
Wrists crossed
To show nope

We use the prefix eX
When relationships end
Yet to family and friends
This poem ends with XXX

want

2026-10-07

I want to find joy
In things that annoy
I want to find beauty
In things considered ugly

I want to find my voice
Amid all the noise
I want to find
Not just clarity of mind
But charity in my mind

I want to find meaning
The purpose of living
And most of all
I want hope for all

voice

2026-10-06

I love to give voice
To make some noise
To speak and sing
Of many things

But the voice that I write
The voice from my heart
Though it may be quiet
May be my greatest might

Thanks for the nerve
Thanks for the verve
Let me use my voice
My verses to serve

ugly

2026-10-05

Behaviour that is rude
Language that is crude
People who are nefarious
Situations that are dangerous
These things are ugly
Ugly to me

So though I may not say
But I want to turn away
I want to disappear
When ugly appears

Yet ugly helps me differentiate
Ugly helps me appreciate
Those who know me
Know I like Wabi-Sabi
Too much pretty
Can also be ugly

travel

2026-10-04

So many places under the sun
Many find travelling fun
It’s hard to miss
The growing bucket lists

It used to be
Going with others
In crowded buses
With heavy suitcases

Now it is free and easy
Just two for company
Or going it solo
Like Marco Polo

It is not just adventure
From your comfort zone you venture
You don’t only see new places
But meet new faces

So travel brings
Many things
New ways of thinking
New ways of living
This the marvel
Of travel

serendipity

2026-10-03

Chance findings
Chance meetings
We value more
Than those we look for

Value enhanced
In things by chance
More romance
In the one glance

Many scientific discoveries
Seem due to serendipity
But they need sagacity
And some curiosity

When stuck
In the muck
The Unlucky
Search for pity
While the plucky
And the Lucky
Find Serendipity

reasons

2026-10-02

I often ponder
I often wonder
I ask questions
To find answers
To find reasons

Reasons for circumstances
Reasons to understand situations
To understand the things
Life brings

Reasons should be sensible
Reasons should be logical
Not excuses that are convenient
To explain away the moment

Yet if a person
With reason is reasonable
Is a person without reason
Unreasonable

But Reasons the reasonable
May not have any
And the unreasonable
May have too many

questions

2026-10-01

Are you someone like me
Who still cannot see
Many things I don’t understand
Many situations beyond me

And even if I find
An answer of some kind
But oh so often
It only brings more questions

Questions by the old
Questions from the young
Their whys and why nots
May help prevent brain rot

Even as I am pondering
Even as I am mulling
Even as I am dreaming
The questions keep piling
As I continue writing
I often find myself smiling

pride and proud

2026-09-30

Pride and Proud
Let me think out loud
Any difference
Any significance

We can be
Proud of family
Proud of achievements
Proud for friends
But at the end
A proud person
We cannot become

We all need
A sense of pride
Yet be grateful
And not be prideful

We can be loud
With our feelings of proud
We don’t need to hide
Our feelings of pride

But we must stay
Far away
From becoming proud
And be mindful
Not to be prideful

ordinary

2026-09-29

Fame and Fortune
Can be hollow
So let’s follow
A different tune

Don’t chase
The extraordinary
Instead embrace
The ordinary

Ordinary ways
Ordinary days
Ordinary people
Ordinary simple

The seemingly mundane
Help keep us sane
So let’s be thankful
For the necessary
For the ordinary
For the uneventful

neglect

2026-09-28

Don’t leave to fate
Before it is too late
Address all the arrears
Neglected during busy years

Especially
For those like me
For the ’no spring chickens’
Time for reflection
Time to focus attention
Time to take action

Dreams long abandoned
People overlooked
Let me not hold back
To make up for this lack
These years I have left
Let me not regret

remembering aunty mary from penang

2026-09-28

Whenever we go to Penang
We will visit a friend
This friend and his mother
We all enjoy food together

Aunty Mary loved talking
Always happily smiling
My Hokkien is not good
But each other we understood

She studied at Light Street Convent
I studied at Assunta Convent
This is the reason I suspect
Why we could easily connect

Aunty Mary and her son
Guan Chiang
Got much closer
Cooking together

Kari Kapitan and Popiah
Inche Kabin and Jiu Hu Char
Food so delicious
Memories so precious

mothers

2026-09-27

The mother-child bond
Is very strong
This bond started long
Before we were born

We breathed the same air
We ate the same food
Whatever was there
The both of us shared

Our ease during birth
Depended on her girth
Our first feast
Milk from her breast

When I was young
In tears and in pain
To her I would run
Before anyone

Soon my mother
Was like an older sister
And then, a friend
Now towards the end
My mother is like my daughter
I hope I will never
Disappoint her

lost

2026-09-26

Like a boat
That hugs the coast
Land in plain sight
Even at night
Better to be safe than sorry
That was our story

Views too narrow
Experiences too shallow
This is the cost
Of never being lost

So we decided to adventure
Beyond Broadcast our venture
Fear came when lost
Opportunities came with lost

What do we gain
From the pain
What have we really lost
When we got lost
We have benefitted most
From lessons while lost

kids

2026-09-25

When I was a kid
Families had many kids
The family pyramid
Had most grandkids

To be candid
Life was not splendid
Shared bedrooms
Fights for bathrooms

We had to accommodate
We learned to be considerate
Daily sharing
Made us more caring

Now the family pyramid
Has become inverted
Many kids are lonely
For more company

To experience a shared bedroom
And queueing for the bathroom
Slumber parties kids plan
Whenever they can

There’s little amiss
When kids still want this
For life is better
When people are together

jokes

2026-09-24

Are you one of those folks
Who love a good joke
A good laugh with others
About us

Jokes with a surprise
We didn’t expect
With a punch line
Hard to forget

Jokes that make connection
Despite the tension
Jokes that release stress
When life is a mess

Moments that are funny
Can make life sunny
So when pain pokes
Try some jokes

inertia

2026-09-23

Inertia is considered negative
In the human perspective
A lack of action
A lack of passion

As if we must keep moving
To escape the boring
As if all we need
Is just more speed

Inertia is a grounding
After frantic floundering
A sense of calmness
After a period of wildness

Inertia is an accumulation
Of satisfaction
A certain peace
Within us

Although hard to fathom
We learn in physics class
Inertia and momentum
Both increase with mass
So let us view
Inertia anew

history

2026-09-22

History
Is a record of the past
So that memories last
For longevity

What we did in the past
Can affect our present
And what we do at present
Soon becomes our past

So how we write history
How we deny history
How we remember history
Determines our destiny

Though not history
My poems tell my story
My thoughts and memory
My life’s journey
A personal history
For me and family

grace

2026-09-21

When I was young
I was highly strung
Energy in spurts
Piercing shouts that hurt
Tactless and awkward
Movements uncoordinated

I was hopeful
One day I will be graceful
Graceful in movement
Gracious in thought
These and more I sought

I have fumbled
I have stumbled
At uneven pace
Up the hill of grace

But this hill may crumble
Down I may tumble
Words ajumble
Memory erasure
Caused by strokes and dementia

But this I know
Whatever may follow
I will try my best
And leave it to the rest
And when I go
I hope grace will flow

fathers

2026-09-20

I wonder why
Most and even I
Seem to celebrate more
About our mothers
Than our fathers

Two fathers I have known
Both long since gone
Today as I look back
I want to address this lack

My fathers are so different
Yet both are consistent
About importance of integrity
The importance of family

All voracious
Father loquacious
Memories so precious
Lessons I treasure
Having meals together
With my Fathers

emotions

2026-09-19

When I was young
Emotions widely swung
Emotions so strong
About right and wrong

Oh so subjective
Emotions positive or negative
Opposing or complimentary
We need the both to balance
To enhance
Our lives daily

But Oh where is the joy
Over a toy
Where is the rage
As I age

Emotions now so mild
Compared to those when a child
I sometimes sigh
Again for those lows and highs

dreams

2026-09-18

I seem
To only dream
When all is calm
When I feel no harm

During the day
With nothing to say
No one around
Dreams can be found

What is ideal
How to make real
Plans and strategies
Where to put my energies

At night while asleep
My mind will keep
Trying to refresh
Trying to rehash
Thoughts that are deep

Dreams that are weird
About situations absurd
My active imagination
My coping mechanism

When I awaken
Some things forgotten
Perhaps no solution
No resolution

But in a while
On my face a smile
I am dreaming
About something
About nothing

contentment

2026-09-17

Contentment makes us happy
Makes us feel very lucky
Little is there to hate
Nothing seems too late

Very early
I was given a recipe
A recipe for peace and charity
Written by St Francis of Assisi

I followed this recipe
And found contentment early
Contentment that grows
Contentment that flows
Contentment from the simple
Contentment from the humble

So if you are feeling discontent
Working till bent
Wondering where everything went
Perhaps you can consider
Reading the Peace Prayer

balance

2026-09-16

Like on a boat
That is afloat
We can just chill
And sit still

But what is the thrill
If there is no spill
Yet we are done
If we only have fun

Balance does not mean
Being in the middle of extremes
Balance can be to and fro
Between fast and slow

Often we have no say
In how we sway
It is not to know all
After a fall
But perhaps a good cry
Before our next try

Be grateful for the accidents
The many nuisances
We need the distance
To keep our balance

abundance

2026-09-15

When something is plenty
When something is scarcity
It is quite apparent
We treat them different

Only when plenty is rare
We stare at it in pleasure
We like it beyond measure
We treat it like treasure

Something in abundance
Something we consider a nuisance
Please don’t fail to appreciate
Before it is too late
Before the ‘Too Many"
Become the “There isn’t any”

fun

2026-09-14

Fun can be Silly
Willy Nilly
Full of thrills
And loud squeals

Moments that are scary
Feats that are hairy
Being on the run
To some
Can also be fun

It is curious
But fun can be serious
May have no purpose
But is never tedious

Not needed for survival
Yet not trivial
There is no one
That doesn’t need some fun

entanglement

2026-09-13

All these years
Despite some tears
The forks in the road
The heavy load
Choose to walk away
Or choose to stay

All those commitments
All those connections
All those entanglements
All those knots
I got

Nothing to look back
Nothing I want to hold back
Nothing I want to take back

For as I age
I have found
Many ties
Have come unbound

Oh, so subtle
Many people
Whom I have known
Have flown
Have gone
The knots may become undone
But the creases
The memories
Many remain
I will do it all again.

the world today

2026-09-12

What is in the news
What are your views
What do you say
About the world today

So that there’s less sorrow
In our tomorrow
We can’t just cry
We need to try

Even a little step
Will help
So sow the seeds of kindness
All around us

lunch

2026-09-11

In the past
Lunch was eaten fast
Often a simple dish
Or just a sandwich

Now I get to savour
The full flavour
Of a meal eaten slow
With coffee to follow

So much pleasure
From this leisure
A contentment that lasts
From this casual repast

writing

2026-09-11

Do write
From your heart
Share your insight
Share your light

Write your view
Old or new
That are true
To you

Write if you can
Don’t kick the can
Don’t regret
When
The can
Becomes a bucket

joy

2026-09-10

Unexpected surprises
A feeling of lightness
So full of gladness
Can make us speechless

A song in the heart
A feeling of delight
A silly smile
Wide as a mile
All these things and more
Are the signs of joy

Joy comes from giving
Joy comes from receiving
Joy comes from doing
Joy comes from understanding
Joy comes in so many ways
I hope it comes everyday

companionship

2026-09-09

Life’s journey
Life’s destiny
Some come at the start
Some will part

Some will walk a day
Some the whole way
Some may choose a different lane
Yet somehow meet again

My Family
My Friends
Together you and me
Life has not been lonely
This companionship I am thankful
Forever grateful

daily chores

2026-09-09

Daily Chores
Many done without a blink
Without a need to think
Can sometimes be a bore

Yet because they are a bore
We are able to think more
Chores so mundane
Chores that keep us sane

Doing Daily Chores
Serves life’s purpose
Allows us to help others
And keep our independence

Daily Chores
Chores I may not adore
Please let me do more
Before I reach the Shore

my me time

2026-08-31

I don’t neglect
Time to reflect
Time for me alone
And nothing to atone

Time for me to think
Time to let things sink
To no one else I need to speak
This is the time I seek

To have this ‘Me Time’
To find words that rhyme
So very lucky
Just to be
Just Me

my village

2026-08-12

My village is my community
My precious family
My village is never still
My village is both old and new

In my village you will find
Friends of every kind
Including acquaintances
That I have met by chance

My village is not temporary
My village is not stationary
People come and go
Yet this they all know
They are always welcome
Into my humble home

ini and itu

2026-07-30

I can’t remember
If I had ever
Thought about
‘This’ or ‘That’
I just accepted them as fact

Countless usage
In my first language
Never made me reason
Never made me question

But when I was seven
In standard one
I had trouble
I had issue
Learning ‘Ini’ and ‘Itu’

Ini is this
Itu is that
So simple on the surface
So simple to others

But I was in a quandary
Where was the boundary
Where was the line
How to define
Language others were learning
Concepts I was asking

Even now it’s not easy
To accept ambiguity
How to behold
Where is the threshold

Let me end
With some fun
Those who know Malay
What do you say
Is ‘in situ’
Sini, Sana or Situ

the half cup question

2026-07-20

While at school
I learned about
The half cup question
What is your position
For me it was half full

I liked to rejoice
Proclaimed in loud voice
Nothing was a waste to me
For I could always see
The silver lining
Behind every cloud shining

But I had been so proud
Till I had missed the clouds
I am truly humbled
For today I have stumbled
On the secret of those who see
The cup as half empty

For they see the beauty of the clouds
The many different clouds
The shade
They made
So that the sun does not sting
The rain they bring
To all things living

Now when I look at a cup
I am grateful
For it being full
For it being empty
For it being simply
Full of possibility

a subtle immortality

2026-07-11

I fear
My previous poem was not clear
" Learn so as to Teach
Teach so as to Learn"
So what ???
Hence this second part

Life has a reason
Life has a season
Life long learning
Has little meaning
Without Teaching
Without reaching

The next generation
To pass on our baton
Our little legacy
A subtle immortality

my aha moment

2026-07-09

Have you ever asked
Why am I doing this task
What is my drive
Why do I strive
Despite all the strife
What is my purpose in life

This answer many have sought
Many have given great thought
Many sages have taught
Yet many still have not caught

Today while doing chores
Everyday chores
Nothing more
I was just sweeping the floor

An answer so obvious
Yet I was oblivious
An answer always before me
Yet always kind of blurry
But now I see oh so clearly

And the answer is
Learn so as to Teach
Teach so as to Learn
And this is why my life has been Bliss

a silent farewell

2026-06-27

Yesterday
An ordinary Friday
Someone in the family
Someone dear to us
Left without any fuss

One of my mother’s
Twin brothers
My Uncle Ng Iye Chin
Known to many as the older twin

A person who knew me
Since I was a baby
So many moments together
Many warm memories to remember

Not too long ago
In fact just weeks ago
Without a hunch
At the table during lunch
He looked and said to me
A simple “Thank You.”

A man of few words
But I understood
A quiet man
A gentle man

Later
At the dinner table
No words he spoke
Just one long look
A look that seemed to gleam
When I looked within
A look that seemed to say
I don’t know the day
I don’t know when
I will see you again

A silent farewell
A soft goodbye
A precious memory
I will remember
A gentle reminder
That we need to spend time together

closure

2026-05-31

At the back of my mind
A question always nagging
How would life be
If I had not left teaching so early

This year like Sleeping Beauty
Awakening from a long slumber
Again I had the opportunity
To be a school teacher

Déjà vu
Faces not familiar
Yet somehow similar
I look at the teachers
Perhaps I taught their sisters
I look at the students
Perhaps I taught their parents

Time has passed
Some methods replaced
Curriculum is more packed
Teaching’s now high tech
I had to adapt

This fast pace
Felt like I was in a race
It was hard to relax
Felt like I had taken energy pills
But I learnt so many skills

So although so much stress
I have been truly been blessed
For I have been encompassed
By youthful energy
All around me

A sense of closure
But not a closed door
‘For life lies before
Here’s luck to the start’

hello there

2026-04-18

Are there second chances
I don’t really know
But sometimes it seems so
They have come to say “Hello”

What if I fail to grab it
What if I let it go
This doesn’t worry me
Perhaps it was not meant to be

Perhaps because of what I did
Because of what I didn’t do
Because of what I got
Because of what I did not
Second Chances came to me

While not a fact
I do know that
Third Chances are
Waiting for me to say
“Hello There”

bright eyes

2026-01-14

This poem is a tribute
A heartfelt salute
To a friend and mentor
To a true educator

When I first met Teng Lin
I thought of Squirrel Nutkin
‘Two bright eyes
Looked round to see…’

She was always so full of energy
There was a skip in her walk
Excitement in her talk
Eyes sparkled with curiosity

Simple on the outside
Deep wisdom inside
She was always learning
Always questioning
Always encouraging
Always inspiring

But a few days ago
Her eyes suddenly closed
Like the song ‘Bright Eyes’
" How can the eyes that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale.."

I will always remember
Those eyes that gleam
That tongue in cheek
That mischievous grin
Of my friend Pang Tang Lin

the old boy

2026-01-13

Someone shared a song
‘Don’t let the old man in’
I thought hard and long
I let the lyrics sink in

Don’t get me wrong
I like the song
I like its meaning
But something was missing

When I was younger
Too busy with life
Too busy with strife
I had no time to ponder

Now I am not young
Now I am old
Now I have the time to learn
Many of the things I used to yearn

So if you are old like me
Do consider
‘Don’t let the old man/woman in’
But please let the old boy/girl in

imp inside me

2025-11-8

This Little Imp Inside
Is not the child in me
Every then and now
Every when and how
When I don’t do right
She is showing her might

When my heart is small
When I act so very mean
I put the blame all
On her shoulders so thin

Because the Little Imp acts the fool
I learn to keep my cool
Because of her mistakes
I learn to give more than I take

When she stumbles
When she fumbles
Although I complain and grumble
I know this Little Imp keeps me humble

The Little Imp is not perfect
I am not perfect
Together we are still imperfect

But this I know
Together we grow
The Little Imp is my soulmate
And we both don’t just leave this to fate

pineapple tarts

2025-11-23

I have a family recipe
For pineapple tarts
It came from my Loh family
But I soon changed the recipe

To make the dough better
I added an egg
I changed margarine to butter

The recipe is simple
Yet also difficult
Because we don’t exactly know
The amount of flour for the dough
It depends on the egg
Whether small or big
At the end
On the feel on the hand

So if you know this recipe
You were likely
Personally taught by me

So if you can bake these tarts
You are likely to be
One of the many children
Or the children of the children of my heart.

balancing act

2025-11-22

Do you remember
When we were very much younger
To dispel our gloom
When our exams loomed
We would lament
These words we would chant

“The more we learn
The more we forget
So why bother to learn”

These words we didn’t believe
They were just comic relief
Instead we urged each other
To study harder

But now that I am much older
I begin to wonder
Because the more I think I know
The less I seem to know

Although we may yearn
We soon learn
Some things cannot be forced
Some things are just not yours

Many things we can’t control
Sometimes we need to let go
And just go
With the flow

But we can’t leave it all to chance
We need to keep in mind
We need to find
Some sort of balance
And enhance

Too deeply we won’t sink
If we don’t overthink
Just do what we can
Wherever and whenever we can

busybody knowbody

2025-11-21

My husband wonders why
My fingers seem in every pie
He thinks I am foolhardy
He says my title is Busybody

I don’t go and select
But somehow I do collect
Many I easily connect
Especially those whom others neglect

I don’t know what motivates me
I try to understand their worry
I listen to their history
I know their story

While I don’t know many
And many don’t know me
But those I do know
And those who know me
I am very pleased to be
Ms Busybody Knowbody

children of my heart

2025-11-17

I have written about
The many joys of giving
But these years I got
Lots of joy from receiving

My students from Shuqun
Who still call me Miss Yuen
Now in their fifties
Still help me if I have queries

More than twenty years ago
At my condo
I gave some bread
To a hungry toddler
In the end
His mother
Became my good friend

Last year
He came from Tokyo
To Singapore
We had dinner together

And the children so poor
That I used to sponsor
It makes my heart swell
To see them doing so well

This year two from China
Next year one from Sri Lanka
And I hope many more
Will come to Singapore

Apart from those I mentioned
So many others I saw as children
And I get to receive
Now they are able to give

Ow almost every day
In some sort of way
They keep in touch
Telling me such and such….

Some just to say hello
Some to ask how are you
Some have good news to share
Some ask for advice
We talk about troubles
We talk about life

I didn’t know from the start
They would be so precious to me
These children of my heart
Are now part of my family.

taking the plunge

2025-11-16

Are you a frog that dwells
Safely inside a well
Or are you the fish that swims
Upstream and Downstream
Following your dreams

The more we seek
The more we will meet
Circumstances
Life’s chances

Sometimes
We have time
To take stock
And not just simply
Follow the flock

Other times
All we got
Is just one glance
To decide yes or not

If we decide to take a chance
To make a leap of courage
To make that lunge
To take the plunge

It will take us somewhere
Though we don’t know where
Somewhere we have never been
Somewhere more than we imagined

Good or Bad
Happy or Sad
At least we know
Others we didn’t just follow

Wherever we land
We took life in our hands
But that’s not all
Because even if we did
fall
We get the chance
To get up and stand tall

writing it down

2025-11-15

I have been busy
Writing poetry
Very recently

Perhaps it’s something
That I need to do
Before I finally
Have to go

To my surprise
Despite all its rules
It’s easier to write
Than prose

I don’t know why
But some have asked
A.I.
To do this task

How can this be?
Don’t they see
It has to be done
Only by human

Inspirations come from our reflections
Come from our interactions
They are subjective
Coming from our perspective

As I am writing
I am trying
To tie up loose threads
Within my head

To come up
With ideas
To back up
My half baked theories

So I am actually
Writing for me
To get others to be
On the same page
To talk the same language
To engage
With me

giving

2025-11-13

Despite what is often thought
Some things giving is not
Giving is not proud
Giving is not loud

Giving is not just in things
Giving is in your time
Giving is charity in thought
Forgiving in the heart

Giving can be from the back
Giving without others knowing
Remember not to over give
Remember that taking
Is also a kind of giving

Because when we take
Others get to give
They get to receive
The joy that giving gives

Sometimes others
Don’t need you to share
Perhaps even they are not aware
But when you are there
They can feel your care

God willing
As long as I am living
I hope to keep on giving

loneliness and aloneness

2025-11-11

Do you know the difference
Between Loneliness
And Aloneness
Let me share
So that we are more aware

Loneliness is when you feel
No one understands you truly
When you feel unhappy
When you want some company
But we can feel lonely
Even among many

Aloneness is sought
When we don’t want to reach out
When we don’t want others about
When we wish to be alone
On our very own
With our own private thoughts

At times we will feel lonely
At times we need to be alone
No need to be a worrywart
It’s fine to feel out of sorts
Especially if the time is short

Try to give some place and space
To those who choose Aloneness
But also try to be more aware
Of lonely people out there

perfect imperfect

2025-11-02

I step into holes
I trip over stones
Many say I don’t see
What is just under my nose

As if in a dream
In some other realm
I seem to float
My mother called me a giddy goat

Things I often lose track
I am also slow to react
Many things I can’t comprehend
Complicated I don’t understand
Some call me “The Blur Queen”

I hate to be stuck
In any rut
My attention is short
Details I see not

Instead I love to skim and scan
As I flutter from spot to spot
And as I try to join the dots
Before me I see a beautiful plan

The plan is just a sketch
It is not a picture
To be more precise
It seems to get more concise
But it is still tentative
It is still subjective

My vision
Is not to find solutions
But to discover Perfection
In all kinds of Imperfection

hello again

2025-10-8

When I was a little child
I was neither meek nor mild
I loved to run about
And loved to scream and shout

At kinder
While not a terror
I was ready to fight the boys
If ever they took our toys

In school I don’t know why
Although I wasn’t really shy
I found myself slowly quieter
Though I still new more answers

Both dreamy and antsy
In and out of fantasy
Laughter and tears
Life was drama with a few fears

Life moved really fast
Many things have come to pass
Many things don’t last
Little difference between first and last

Now at sixty three
I do again feel free
Free to be lazy
Free to be busy

Free to be
The child inside me
Hello again
My little friend

alpha beta gamma delta

2025-10-28

I am poor with faces
And also places
But I have an uncanny ability
To read a person’s personality

So I made a decision
To share my own version
And interpretation
Of Alpha, Beta
Gamma and Delta

Perhaps mine is more
A theory of behaviour
Combining nature with nurture
It can help a person with his future

These states of behaviour
We all have all four
But one tends to be more
More dominant than others

When we were much younger
Many things we were unsure
We gave less and took more
Little children usually demonstrate
Gamma and Delta behaviour states

When children grow older
They begin to understand more
Those that are blessed
Learn to take less
They learn how to be Alpha or Beta

The Alpha is all about the task
“Just follow, don’t ask”
The Beta is all about people
About the task they care little

Alpha and Beta take on responsibility
They are not afraid of difficulty
But both of them can be bossy
The Alpha leads with the head
The Beta leads with the heart

The Gamma (干嘛）
Don’t take the initiative
They prefer being passive
They are happy go lucky
They love being free and easy
They will follow if they can
Many don’t grow up like Peter Pan

Delta (嗲嗲）
From very young they got their way
To get others to do as they say
They can change from cute and suppliant
To teary and Petulant
But the way they use their charm
Actually causes them harm

Depending on the situation
We need different combinations
Alphas may need to be more Beta
Betas may need to practise more Alpha
At times they need to let others
Take over
And just be Delta and Gamma

And what about the Gammas and Deltas
Do you like what you see?
If you don’t, I believe
It’s never too late to learn to give
This poem is a call to wake up
To start to grow up
To learn to share
To start to care
Before it’s too late
Before you become whom others hate

Don’t worry
If my theory
You don’t agree
The theory is not meant as an attack
I welcome your feedback
To have a conversation
To start a discussion.

sisters at heart

2025-10-17

Yesterday
I was out to play
With my friends
From RGS

We are the “A Team”
Kuna gave us this name
She is the leader
Of and at our get togethers

We usually meet at Serangoon Road
So much to unload
So much to be aware
So very much to share

But yesterday
We got together
To forget our cares
To let down our hair

And soon
At Serangoon
“Youth’s elixir filled our veins”

We bobbed
To music that was loud
We squeezed with the crowd
Someone said “good”
We gave her the Deepavali mood

We always have a must do
And that is to take a photo
In the middle of
Serangoon Road
But we forgot to scream
“A Team”

I feel I had “luck from the start”
For these are my “Sisters in Learning
And Sisters at Heart”

my study

2025-10-16

Our first home
Had three rooms
My husband took
Just one look
And filled one with his books

The other spare room
Became my Study
It was temporary
Waiting to welcome
Our children to come

Though our children never came
Temporary my Study remained
In this room our guests
Could stay and rest

Our current and second home
Has four rooms
And my Study
Was no longer temporary

But soon our home became both
Home and hotel
Since our family name is Loh
We call it our Lohtel

And now I am very happy
My home is often full of many
As for my Study
It’s again temporary

being positive

2025-10-15

At NUS, Physics was my major
And Chemistry my minor
I hope this poem doesn’t offend
My Chemistry friends
For it’s only in fun I seek
It’s written tongue in cheek

I am a happy person
I think I know the reason
I think that it could be
Like Physics is different from Chemistry

In Chemistry all the attention is on
The precious electron
The Valence Electron they really care
Electron spin and pair

Do other people see
Or is it only just me
In Chemistry they seem selective
To only care about the negative

In Physics we also consider
The Other
This the Positive Charge
The missing Negative Charge

A neutral body
Becomes positive
When it loses some electrons
When it loses some negative

So let us
Focus
Not on the minus
But on the plus

life

2025-10-14

When we were really small
We just knew how to bawl
Later we learned to crawl
And then to stand tall

Then we went to school
Where we learned the rules
Some were written
Some were hidden

We tried not to be fools
Here we learned to be cool
But soon, school
We found was just a little pool

We learned to swim faster
We had to swim harder
For the water was deeper
And the shore was farther

And now I am at this stage
Although not exactly with grace
I ‘swim’ at my own pace
I have the time to ponder
Time to explore
Time to wonder
Time to discern
Time to learn

rabbit bunny hare

2025-10-07

Have you ever been like me
Confounded by these three
This confusing trinity:
The Rabbit, The Bunny and The Hare

The Rabbit thought small
Is probably known by all
For its long ears
And baby soft fur

Rabbits are in many stories
And even in mythologies
Like Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit
And the Moon’s Jade Rabbit

When it’s warm and cuddly
When it’s soft and fluffy
When it’s cute or funny
We call it The Bunny

A famous Bunny
Is Bugs Bunny
A cute dance hop
Is called the Bunny Hop

When it is large or mean
Or when it’s meant to be eaten
Or when we just don’t care
The rabbit is called a hare

We know about the lazy Hare
From Aesop’s “The Tortoise and The Hare”
Jessica Rabbit’s luscious lips
Are very different from Hare-lips

And so at the end of the day
Whatever they may say
Whichever the name
To me they are the same

mid autumn festival

2025-10-06

When after a busy harvest
And it was time to rest
Families all will gather
And share the food together

Since the days of yore
There has been a Chinese folklore
Of the Moon Goddess Chang’E
Separated from her husband and lover

Only on this very night
On the moon they can unite
Many poems have been written
Many moon gazers smitten

This Mid-Autumn Festival
To the Chinese is very special
This festival helped them rebel
Against the ruling Mongols

Lunar missions are named after her
The Moon Goddess Chang’E
She is part of the culture
She is part of the future

Happy Mid Autumn Festival
You are not forgotten
Let us come together and dine
Hope everyone is fine