In this public space
When something funny is read,
I restrained my laughter
For that was etiquette unsaid.
The way my laughter was repressed
Was with but a single discreet cough,
But fellow commuters were not impressed.
What I thought inconsequential at the time
Garnered me many suspicious glances,
As though the simple act of coughing
Were a crime.
The lone cough that day
Earned me unease and distrust,
Someone’s subtle shift away,
And virtually every eye on the bus.
Singapore, please calm down!
Spreading faster than any virus
Is the anxiety that goes around
Making us delirious.
By Tan Xin Jie, Secondary Three, Bukit Batok Secondary School
| For another poem about the circuit breaker period, head here to have a look at P1 student Sargam Modak’s effort.
You can also learn how English Teacher Ms Karen Kang uses poetry to engage her classes here. Otherwise, to see how studying Literature builds critical thinking, you can read this article for Senior Curriculum Specialist and Assistant Director for Literature (Secondary), Ms Meenakshi Palaniappan’s thoughts. |
