In between anime posts, perhaps it might be apt, with the recent death of an esteemed Singaporean poet, Arthur Yap, to showcase a poem of his, as well as that of another relatively unknown (to the masses) poet, Elizabeth Bishop.

Let's start with Arthur Yap first.

the mountains are hazy with timeless passivity
sprawling monotonously in the left-hand corner
while clouds diffuse and fill the entire top half
before bumping daintily into a bright red parakeet
perched suicide-like on a beautiful gnarled branch
arched by the weight of fruit and one ripe peach
hung a motionless inch from the gaping beak

here is transient beauty
caught in permanence
but of what avail is such perpentual unattainment?

i know the stupid bird can never eat the stupid peach

-Arthur Yap


For me this captures perfectly the quintessential Chinese watercolour painting. I hear echoes of Buddhism, of Keats, and even the way this might be phrased as a Singaporean reply to the Wordsworthian ideal of nature. The O'Henry-like ending, the triple juxtaposition of "transcient beauty", "permanence" and "perpetual attainment" in such close proximity, to name just a few, make this an excellent example of precision and craft.


Bishop is one of my favourite poets. She exemplifies the goal I strive for in my own poetry. From a review of a just-released collection of Bishop on NY Books:

"The enormous power of reticence—that is the great lesson of the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop," Octavio Paz said of her.

In "First Death in Novia Scotia", she approaches the sublime coupling of craft and subject matter, her formal mastery allowing her to, like storytellers of old, connect with her audience intimately in the way only verse can. The terse trimeter, the simple phrasing, mimic a child's innocence with the knowing craft of the adult.

And this isn't just a single hit. Most of her poems are such concise gems. What may initially seem like a cold, anonymous voice, one of her few faults if indeed it is one (due to her conscientious drafting and revision) turns out to be a passionate flow of emotions aided by her cerebral, word-trimming self.

Do yourself a favour. Google these poets, buy their books.