From “Ungovernable Bodies”
Matt, February 16, 2007 (Fri), his place, next day American Folk Art Museum
in anhedonia i hide an anon
catatonic dreams mace c-data on stir
of kittens in ovens o tens of tin knives
alogia wilderness loading a wireless
spandex expands
the jerk chickun the Jurchen kick
genetically mute met in glutey lace
the lucky allele all they eke and cull
not martin ramírez nor trim ez martian
pregnancy stress or cypresses n grantor
cannabis use e-scan bi a sun
committed ‘im mode mic mitt
to institutions on its tot in situ
and also art raton as lad
after Yeow Kai Chai
Andy, May 27, 2007 (Sun), Mr. Black
The tunnel has been closed for some time now,
but a claw of panthers find their cast-iron steps
from daylight street to basement dungeon
to suffer the flail of ecstasy. Mr. Conductor,
when will train service begin, the velvet
rope that ties one to all harmonically?
The Rose Boy is antsy. The brick arches
jump from toe to toe, making an entrance
for the Black Detective with a blank map.
He does not come in the name of the law,
but with a nose ring that glints in the dark.
Follow him! Father has been buried here
for far too long. We will exhume his bones
and beat a retreat playfully with the femur.
after Yeow Kai Chai
Mike, June 22, 2007 (Fri), Urge, then my place
Half-time. Hyphenated adjectives.
Hefted to the edge. Holy shit!
Half-boiled eggs. High and low.
Ho, ho, ho, the phone clock rhymes.
Borderlands half-awake. Hot takes
on a hairy chest but not overly so.
History. Handfuls of old chestnuts.
Half-Black, half-Irish, half-Scottish.
Hackers of the world, unite haply!
Hundreds of centaurs and unicorns,
wholesome as Angel, hip as River.
Half-life only is my life, haiku-like,
compromised, lukewarm, judas,
but, hey, I’m uncut too, hallelujah!
Jee Leong Koh is the author of Steep Tea (Carcanet), named a Best Book of the Year by UK's Financial Times and a Finalist by Lambda Literary in the US. He has published four other books of poems, a volume of essays, and a collection of zuihitsu. His work has been translated into Japanese, Chinese, Malay, Vietnamese, Spanish, Russian, and Latvian. His latest book is a work of hybrid fiction, titled Snow at 5 PM: Translations of an insignificant Japanese poet (Gaudy Boy LLC). Originally from Singapore, he lives in New York City, where he heads the literary non-profit Singapore Unbound. singaporeunbound.org