waves 2020
the waves never cared about politics
conservative, liberal –
they would break the same way
with the same force
travel the same endless distance
across open ocean
but now the waves know
things are not the same
and there’s little they can do –
it’s so hard for them
to make little wet hands
to X out change
instead, the waves quietly whisper
vote for us
an excess of green
the guide apologizes
jungle is excessively green
unlike the riot of orchids
in the plot next door
the garden’s ex-director demanded
color be planted
the remnant rainforest salted
with invasive exotic hues
that’s the simple thinking
of someone who fails to notice
the bronze of a leaf’s underside
rosy blush of a baby blade
seafoam against grey of ebony bark
lemon of a leaf just littered on the floor
now the fiery red splotches
ignorantly planted in the forest
signal wounds we made
by not loving green enough
manufacturing nature
it is necessary
Singaporeans feel
to move water from the sea
stack it in a column
high in the air
then let it thunder down
into a vortex
ringed by Burger Kings
and Prada shops
and to build grotesque metal trees
with flashing lights
broadcasting Disney show tunes
