The Secret She Hid

The secret she hid away,
is still in her heart today,
this solemn old woman,
who earnestly begins to pray

She pleaded God to forgive her, though
she sensed that He was always there;
yet she needed to tell someone,
what she could no longer bare

For many years ago,
as though it was a nightmare,
she had killed her only daughter,
for the life brought to her was never fair

She re-enacted the scene
often, since the horror began,
how she managed to kill her daughter,
the tiny infant whose name was Pam

Most would have condemned her,
never accepting her reasons ,
but they weren't there each night
when her husband would inflict his malevolence

Pam's mother watched in terror,
as her daughter was severely beaten
the monster would then turn on his wife
as her child huddled in a corner, frightened.

She tried a thousand times,
to flee from this vicious man
but he always laughed "I'll follow you
wherever you go, don’t you understand?"

She lived in poverty and fear,
wishing for the aid she never had.
She tried reporting him to the police
but they could not bother to lend a hand

She decided one day,
to go against the odds;
she could not endure the beatings,
that were shredding her without a thought.

Hence on a chilly gloomy night,
she tucked her daughter to bed,
kissing her goodnight and goodbye
for by morning Pam would be dead.

She had put in Pam's dinner arsenic,
and along with many tears,
whispered softly to her weeping daughter,
"Soon you'll never have to live in fear."

She found her daughter dead,
when morning arose.
she cried tears of sorrow and pain,
but asking Pam to forgive her was the utmost

She covered the corpse with a blanket, placed
it tenderly in her dump, drove to a river bank
a few thousand miles away, and began to
sob as her beloved sank

She was questioned by her relatives
the whereabouts of Pam, an excuse was
created, and soon everyone forgot about
the child who was never given a chance first.

Knowing that Pam would forgive her,
this old lady found great solace
for she had confessed what she had done,
and at last she found great peace.

Edna Pang
3 Grace

Hidden Within

A shadow casts deep in her heart,
Feelings swirling with rage.
Kept thoughts and desires stored within,
Unwilling to reveal.

Masks put on to hide and cover,
A happy face always seen,
But deep within with sadness,
No one but her can see.

With attempts and determination,
She struggles to overcome.
But as obstacles jeer her each day,
She starts losing hope.

But every cloud with a sliver lining,
She gathers courage again.
Facing what lay deep in her heart,
Her direction found at last.

Gwendolynn Tan
4 Grace

Singapore

Young and innocent once we were,
Not knowing the way ahead,
As we take each stranger step,
Uncertainty overcame.
The storms that arrived,
Made us unite as one,
As we the nation merged,
All dangers were conquered.
Though unsure of the future,
United we will stand.
Enemies we must not lure,
Peace we must observe
Today though sturdy and strong,
We still must persevere,
Hand in hand along,
As more dangers stir.

Gwendolynn Tan
4G

Countryside

Green pastures set behind
Scent of flowers wavering
Troubles put aside for now
As the mind sets off wandering
The wind whispers softly
As the puffy clouds stare
The horses gallop gallantly
Each step with great force.
Peace observed throughout
Slight disturbance rare
Calmness eagerly sought
As the body goes to rest.

Gwendolynn Tan
4 Grace

Compensate

Every single minute
Every single day
Life’s in a rush
Rushing for work
Rushing for 5C’s

So rushed
That we had forgotten
Forgotten our happiness
Forgotten our promises
Forgotten our heart

Seeing our little innocent child
Growing up to a teenager
Makes us feel guilty
Guilty of neglecting her
Guilty of our irresponsibility

Distress and helpless
We tried to compensate
Compensate with gifts
Compensate with money
But she told us sadly

My eyes can see
Nothing but darkness.
Anxious and frightened
Seeking something important
But all is lost

Lim Shi Min
3 Grace

I Still Remember

I still remember the time you taught me to walk,
When I was a little girl.

I still remember the time I fell
You picked me up and helped me.

I still remember the time I failed,
You encouraged and motivated me.

I still remember that you believed in me
Thanks you for all you have done.

Michelle Lim
3G

He Was My All

He, was the one person whom everyone wished they had.
He, was the one person whom everyone adored.
He, was the one person with a heart of gold.
I was lucky enough to have received him as my dearest grandfather.

I remember when I was five,
We were at the park
And I saw a beautiful butterfly.
Out of curiosity, I chased it
And ended up with a bad scab on my knee.
Because of your rare medicated lotion, I was healed.
I thank you for that.

When I was eleven,
You were there to see me through
The seven days when I was hospitalized for dengue fever.
Thanks for your care and concern.

Through these years,
I have not done anything for you.
Not even thanks from me.
I know I am wrong
And I regret it terribly now.
I wish I could leap
The gap of age, background, dialect
To have a heart to heart talk with you.
But I guess it’s impossible for us to do so now.
As I see you lying on your death bed,
Tears filling up my eyes,
I gently whispered into your ear
“You were my all” in dialect.

Charmaine Kwok
3G

In one of the multitudinous, lacerated, camps lies his abode
Feeble and fragile, however hopes still kept afloat
That pipe dream for silk, satin, and such, to embrace him tight
The coarse earth he rests his head on every harrowing night
Is, but, one of the myriad sufferings he endures
In dire hope of keeping that dream secure.

Shelter, warmth, and love
Something he solicits from up above
The young asylum carves his unheard pleas into a tune
Prayed, with one intent.
Make war cease or us immune,
Give us a home and let us retrieve that sense of belonging, that’d be a godsend.

It is things like these we do not experience
Therefore taking peace and harmony for granted
A little bit more overboard and we’d lose our balance
And we’d be back where our past had started.
Let us be appreciative for stability and tranquillity in this place we belong
Impending wars shall remind us to stay strong
Together we build up and unassailable citadel
Home, where our heart is, undeniably loved well

Goh Xiao-Qing
3 Grace

Thanks Mum… For Everything

Every time I see you
I know that you are there for me

I came out of your womb
Saying thanks was what my first cry meant
All the people fussing over me
Every where I went
Thanks for the life you breathed into me

When I was seven
You made me go to school
School was not heaven
Every one knew that too.
Thanks for sending me to school anyway.

When I had my first job,
Times were tough
I had to slog like a dog
It wasn’t easy though
But thanks for being there

Got married, had children
My marriage nearly failed
If it wasn’t for you.
You helped me through the storm
So thanks for the care and concern

But mum, all I want to say is thanks
Thanks for cheering me up
Thanks for understanding me
Thanks for everything you gave me
Thanks for being there when I needed you

Every time I see you
I know that you are there for me

Esther Chan
3G

Perhaps

Perhaps, you shouldn’t have shouted at her when all she did was to ask you to get off the phone.
Perhaps, you should have told her how appetizing her meals were.
Perhaps, you should have remembered her birthday.
Perhaps, you should have told her how fine-looking she was in your eyes.
Perhaps, you should have showed your appreciation for what she had done.
Perhaps, you should have told her how great she was to carry you in her stomach for 9 whole months,
Perhaps, you should have told her how incredible she was.
Perhaps, you should have showed that you cared.
Perhaps, you should have told her how much you loved her.
Perhaps, perhaps if she was still alive.

Annabelle Leong
3J

That Special Letter

I always thought that I wasn’t special
Because there were always other kids who were always better
I always thought I didn’t matter
Until one day, I came upon this letter

I was sitting alone at the side of the church
When it suddenly got colder and colder
I knew then it was my heavenly father
Speaking to me through this letter:

My dear little daughter
Fear not because I am here
You are something special
Because you are a chosen angel

In the process of making you
I had something else in mind
While making you
I, your God took a little extra time

As soon as I read that letter
I began to chuckle
It was the first time
I ever felt so special

Cristalbelle Leong
3G

Me, You, Us

Crammed up in the inside
Mummy’s little tummy.
For seven months just you and me,
Growing together side by side.

Third of May,
Our very first cry.
You came out first,
I, a minute later.
Tiny, sickly,
Said others.
Grew up tall and fit instead.

Classmates for four whole years,
Came the fifth, then the sixth,
Different classes at long last.
Into secondary school years,
You to Cedar, I to SJC.
Seeing each other only
In the early mornings
And in the late nights.
But still as close
As never before.

Been through a lot together,
Relying on the other
In every step of the way.
Not knowing what we have
In store for us in the future
But knowing for sure
We’ll always have each other
By our side no matter what.

Celesther Wong
3 Grace

Broken Rope

Handful of regrets,
Mouthful of moans.
owed by a girl,
never been told.

Inside her world,
colours evoked.
out of desperation,
they rebolt.

nevertheless tears they flow,
love thats left,
no one to hold.
faith it drop into a hole,
give up on hope.

praying to cope,
end of story,
end of hope,
end to mend,
a broken rope.

Jocelyn Tan
3G

Dreams Will Wither

The room was surprisingly boiling.
I made a family of stickmen, scribbling nothing.
I heard the voices behind me whisper,
“Y=mx+c” as the teacher kept shouting.

Sweat trickled down my face
as the fans were whirling deadly,
I sat there in a gaze,
and wished how it would snow astonishingly.

As I sit here waiting for the bell to ring,
couldn’t wait to get out of this hell I’m in.
My mind flutters off to a world of my own
where all my quandary would be thrown.

It’s a place where there are
No lies no rumours no fights.
Only wonderful things like Christmas lights.
A place in an unknown land so very far.
I dream of all the wonderful things there are

Gumdrops fairy dust
Lemon trees Cane railings
Chocolate rivers Marshmallow mushrooms
Strawberry houses Ice cream mountains.

I sat there dreaming
But soon all those thoughts began to shatter
As I’m awoken by the sound of my teacher screaming
My heart tears apart, becoming torn and tattered.

I am back as 15 year old me.
With a lot more years to live,
With dreams that has been crushed,
By my ‘friends’ and the troubles they give.

Here I am waiting for a miracle,
One that would make me feel loved
As I’m moving back to reality, I agree
That dreams like flowers will soon wither.

Fitri Anugerah
3G

Don't

Before you pass your hurtful comments
Don't.

Because you don't know
And what you don't know
Won't hurt you
But it will hurt those you criticise.

Before you make a judgment
Stop.

Because you have no clue
Of the ties that bind.
Of the hours spent in rehearsals
Of the laughter and angst
Of the fellowship of sisters.
Of the surrogate family that has been formed.

Before you say a word.
Don't.

Because no one cares to listen
To words that harm,
Uttered by ignorant tongues.

Don't.

Mrs Debra Tan

Submitted From Inside Me

No one knows I wished I’ve never been born
no one knows that I that I hate myself
no one knows that I want to die
no one knows but me and you.

No one knows the good things I’ve done
no one knows the inside of me
no one knows that I cry every time
no one knows why I like to be alone
no one knows but me and you.

Dina Heng
3 Grace

I NOT STUPID TOO. I JUST NOT SMART

Swollen eyes
Carried sparks
Of rebellious attitudes and
Unbeatable stubbornness.
She burned with a fever late at night
Went to school the next day
Oh, she was an interesting sight.

She wore bruises
Sourcing from last night’s rendezvous.
A body aching with leaden pain
And swollen glands from dehydration
Oh, she was indeed an interesting sight.

She knows no rules
And acts like a bumbling fool
Words did not pass vulgarity filters
Tempers rose high up to the heavens
Then that’s when she begin to fight
Oh, she was an interesting sight

Arguments never end
To the police many times she was sent
Drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, what did she not touch?
She was growing worse
And the abuse grows severe
Yet she feels no fear
Oh, she was indeed an interesting sight

Many guesses, many speculations
Rumours and gossips burned hot
When she was found on the ground
A pool of cardinal water
Soaking her favourite white shirt
Bones broken by impact of her fall from twenty-seven storeys
Oh, she was an interesting sight

Poet's Note: It speaks of a young teenager victimized by domestic abuse. She hid from her home, and was led astray by bad company. She got entangled with the affairs of the gangs, in the end killing herself when guilt finds her.

Lin I-Mai
3 Grace

Let Her Go

So the time has come,
for us to let go
we'll walk our own ways
and leave the past behind
I'm left with no choice
for our future is vague

Though once thankful I found you,
this time I got to let go
Though promises have been made,
aren't they meant to be broken?
Though we've had our happy times,
what beats our happiness?
Quarrels it is.

I thank you for playing a role in my once lonesome life,
but every story has an ending
I guess out story has reached its end
well it has to end.

Boy, show no anger for what
I fear is that in you
like a volcano on the verge of eruption,
erupt no more
my little one for you
I see a devil in disguise.

Its time we really look at the picture,
that we haven't looked at,
that we haven't figured out,
but for now its time to face reality
the reality that we're not meant to be.

Adora Yeo
4 Integrity

A Day in the Life of a Singapore School Kid

In the pervading darkness,
The alarm clock rings.
Their sleepy owners snooze the alarm,
Then gets up to pee.

The maid is busy in the kitchen,
Preparing the drink.
Gulp the whole lot in,
Then slouch off to catch the bus.

Walking in the dark,
The bus comes chugging up-RUN!
Or else you might be late,
Trust me, that's not fun.

The news breaks out amongst us,
Our science teacher is not around.
We cheer and arrive at her room,
Only to find there is worksheets to do

We arrive later at a world,
Filled with streams and rivers
And noisy little humans
That?s how Geography is.

Next we get to another world,
Full of revolutions and wars,
Then we see Hitler killing the Jews,
God bless the poor souls.

After leaving the cruel History world,
We get to Lit
With Romeo and Juliet and Othello,
And those tests we sit.

The recess bell rings,
And everyone starts talking-yes, everyone
Exercising their mouths and waiting for the moment
When it is unforgivable to talk.

After finishing a few more lessons,
Like gym and mother tongue
Finally! The dismissal bell rings.
Everyone eats their lunch.

After lunch, we go home-no wait!
We go to the world of calculation,
Don't get me wrong, we?re not managers,
But we have math remedial.

After remedial, we skip out of school,
With bags heavy with homework to do.
We run for the bus stop again
For the bus is here.

Reaching home, we sink gratefully into the bath.
Then we have dinner
Next we do homework (oh no, I don't know this question)
Before jumping into bed.

Good night, my dear friend
A new day is about to begin.

Grace Tan
Sec 3G

Lost Innocence

Santa Claus
Once real to me
Seems but a distant memory.

Christmas elves,
Fairy dust and such
Believed in that once too much.

Childish hopes,
Magical fantasies.
Far from truth and reality

The days past by
And I grew up
Lost my innocence like a pup

Santa Claus
Now, memories
I’m past the stage of naivety.

Kimberly Ashleigh Francisco
3 Grace

Bullies

Three o’ clock
Once again
Around the corner,
They came
She saw
She ran
But alas!
They caught her

Down she was knocked
Bam, boom!
A kick and a bruise
She tasted blood
She scurried to her feet but
Boom, she fell
Knocked down again

“Haha! Look at her!”
They laughed out loud
She bit her lip
She wouldn’t give in
She couldn’t give in
Oh, but she did

Like satisfied wolves
After the kill
They sauntered away
Filled with thrill

Exhausted and beaten
The girl lay there
Once again
Three o’ five.

Kimberly Ashleigh Francisco
3 Grace

As A Painter

I would paint the skies so high for thee,
The lovely flights of fragile feathers
Clouds that sigh in its lonely plead
for we are too, part of the drained and the careless.

I would paint the lights so blinding for thee,
The sun, the moon or the stars,
Just to get rid of the darkness you see,
So you can now take off that black weary mask.

I would paint the sea so vast for thee,
For the reflection of your cold
Cold heart will cease quickly;
The flow of my sorrow you’ll finally hold.

I would paint the trees so grand for thee,
The taste of the bittersweet fruits and romance,
And the touch of the emerald blades cuts painfully.
But you’ll see it is to forget the past, as it cures; as it cleanse.

I would paint our love so real for me,
This love; strokes of trust, no façade,
Only words that speak truthfully,
No presence of mourning or miserable masquerades.

Just to be with you, I’ll leave my life as a painter,
Sacrificial of my dearest memory,
I will destroy them all. It was inevitable, sooner or later
I would go. By your enchanting allure,
I would climb in this painting to be with you, in my sweet, everlasting reverie.

Merissa Tee
4J

Torment

Imagaine,
The image of trauma,
The first thing you think of
When people ask of your childhood.

Memories,
Full of what you endured
When, you, innocent and fresh,
Unknowingly suffered.

Suffering,
It was not great,
It was perhaps little to most people,
Hardly significant.

Why,
Why such hatred is felt?
I do not know,
That it carries on until now.

Accumulation,
I guess that’s it for
Since young, friendless,
Plots start to form.

Passed,
And it carries on and on,
More and more hatred
As the plots fall into place.

Finally,
With the small breath
of the evil one in my ear,
The plot unfolds to revenge.

Hating,
Hating to do this as you find,
Those you get back at
Are really those who you love.

Melissa Tan
4G

Come Evoke My Senses

See
the skyscrapers, one last time
the abundant green in every turn.
Diverse people existing as one,
notwithstanding evident differences.

Hear
The cyclic buzz of school, one last time,
The teachers’ reprimands, students’ gossip.
Shoppers queuing up, muttering impatiently.
The rush of footsteps towards a sale.

Speak
Of loving words, at times too mawkish,
To friends one has come to know.
Unexpected friendships formed,
Yet each is there for the other through woes.

Taste
The sumptuous exotic food, one last time,
From the place aptly called The Food Paradise.
Curry, rojak and a great deal more,
A passerby’s glance could spell the food’s demise.

Feel
A surge of bliss through you,
As you breathe in fresh, untainted air.
There’s something different, surely,
Yet one cannot point out what exactly.

See
The departure hall, feeling ambivalent
Chatting and laughing tourists, clueless.
Catch a last glimpse of your friends, forlorn,
And you struggle for a blissful demeanour.

Hear
The booming voice through the speaker,
“Flight SQ 412 now boarding”
Turning back, now unable to suppress your grief
Hot, prickly tears down your cheeks

Feel
The air around you change,
As you reach your destination.
A surge of glee runs down your spine.
Dejected tears now replaced with tears of joy.

You look out your window,
See the terrain you vividly remember.
Slowly it dawns on you, as the plane lands
After such an excruciating wait, you’re finally back,

You’re finally back home.

Carissa Castro
3E

Undecided

Stuck on this island for your whole life
Everyone thought you should have long died
Surrounded by the dangers of the jungle
They thought it was a miracle for 15 years you survived

Dangers from the sky
Once or twice a flower pot flies
Yesterday another window fell,
The one below was fine.
The one on top, fined.

For the 15 years you survived
Four fifth you were jailed
Sitting in boxes,
Reading from sheets
To figure why pots flew
How one plus one is two

But just as a coin has two sides,
This is jail, but also paradise;
To find your delicate prey
Yesterday you ate the hainanese chicken,
Today the Indian prata.
Tomorrow, I wonder who?

For the 15 years you survived
You know when you’re told to go left
You better not go right
You know you’ve seen it all.
People who complain to wait 15 min for a SBS bus
But penguins to queue 15 hours for a vase

Lim Yan Yi
3F

Ode zum Reinigungsmittel (Ode to the Cleaners)

Why, oh why God,
Have you made,
Some to work and some to play?

Why have you made
The Pandora’s box,
The tear-washed faces of the youth,
The scheming men in ties and suits?

Then,
Why, oh why,
Did you make the hope that came along,
The small silver of good?

Then God,
Why do we have him there,
Crouched,
Knees beaten with arthritis,
His weather-beaten face?

Then why God,
Do we have blessed children,
Taunting him in the face,
Whilst all he did was acting,
A role in the play,
Desired for all to see?

He is an unknown actor, in this play,
The play of feelings, emotions,
It was a play not grossing millions away,
They why God,
Have you not made him the star?

He is, for all to see,
The greatest reason
Why cash followed in to us today.
They why God,
Have the politicians,
In their protocol clean suits
Claim the credit?

Then why does he continue?
Was it for the money and the coins,
So cold and dead?

With a tip of his cap,
He gathered his equipment;
Brooms and dustpans,
And left us,
The now clean roads of façade

Everyday, the birds will sing,
A song praising him.
And he knows of it,
Just like you, God, did too.

He will be back again,
Tomorrow and the day after.
However, please pray not,
One day,
He might stop,
And leave us our roads of broken façade.

By Kimberly Ang, 3F

The Game

This game that we played
was one of its kind
This game that we played
was our lives

Some people abide by the rules
had found themselves fortunes
Others who chose to ignored
had their fortunes gone

It is not this case everytime
People who followed the rules still lost
and for those who don't
they won

This game that we played
decided our lives
our victories and our falls
This game goes on, forever

Lim Ai Qi
4J

Madness in the City

Madness in the city
where we've always been
Madness in the city
where we were being teased

The tightness in our skin
the "flawless" security
Yet crimes take place everyday
the madness in man

The killings of innocent
the nine-year-old girl
What wrong had she commited
to gain this finale

The madness is getting stronger
everyday as we awake
The madness in this city
when will it ever end

Lim Ai Qi
4J

Everything's Going to Be Fine One Day

EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE FINE ONE DAY

I saw your gloomy face,
as you walked around school in a slow pace,
you seemed so sad,
so out of place.
I wanted to go up to you,
each time and say
"everything's going to be fine one day".
but as I approached you,
I got shunned aside,
I felt so puzzled,
as you always didn't seem alright.
one day,
I grabbed hold of you,
I whispered those words into your ear.
I saw a smile but then a tear.
the day when things were finally fine,
I turned around and saw a sign,
a sign which said you were cool in school,
everyone knew you,
you were no more a fool.
a few weeks later,
I heard you say
"everything's going to be fine one day"
you put a smile on a fellow mate's face,
someone,who felt out of place.

Anne-Marie Cher
3 Justice

Reaching the Top

As I peered through the tiny opening
Of the cramped, dark, shadowy box,
I wondered if I was able to fly again.

Many a times I have been pulled back down;
Having afterwards to pick up the pieces
Lying on the ground.

Past failures haunted like a nightmare.
With utmost courage,
I brushed back all these thoughts.

In sync with the burning desire
In me;
I broke free with ease.

As soon as I was freed,
The determination of gaining success
Pushed me even more.

I cried and screamed out loud
As I battled
Against the resistance of the wind.

Soon enough;
I was
Above all things.

Looking down with great exhaustion,
A humongous sense of victory
Gushed through my heart, mind and soul.

Alas! I have reached the top.
But
What's next in line for me?

Marie Anne Foo
Sec 4 Grace

My Heart Flew Away Like a Cloud

My heart flew away like a cloud
As my friends left me,
One after another,
Like foam washed into the sink.

Smiles melted turned to frowns,
Sorrow filled everyone’s face,
As if the world’s gonna end.

I crept out of bed,
Dawn was breaking,
But Mr. Sunshine never rose.

I peeped out of the window,
Trying really hard to find the candy man.
The melodious tone of his bell was not heard
And I wonder why- has he also gone to the place where mama went?

My heart flew away like a cloud,
It flew to New York, Egypt, Africa and many places around the world,
But it never came back to me.

Mui Rui Yi
4J

Everything In Its Right Place

The head is on the neck.
Checked.
There are five fingers at the hand.
Checked.
The two legs are each attached to the thighs.
Checked.
The Bionic Realistic Automatic Integrated Neurosystem is activated in the head.
Checked.
The Heat Effected Artificial Respiration Tool is under the steel rib cage.
Checked.

Inspection Cleared.
Ready To Launch To The World.
A new Homogenous Unanimous Man-like Android Number 36872 borne.

Loo Hui Ping
4E

POP SCENE

The daily pop scene is trash.
Pop songs are just repetiton of ridiculously rubbishy rants.
Pop songs are just a decoy to dig the dollars out of your dingy diesels.
Pop songs are just a fast way for faux fellows to get famous.
Pop songs are just for people who presumes that pop songs are proper.
yeah!

[Chorus]
"I love Radiohead, Blur, Gorillaz, Coldplay, Muse,
Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand,
Placebo, Bloc party,
Arcade Fire..."
Stop.
"Who are they?", they said.
"What are they?", they said.

Oh...The daily pop scene is trash.
My taste in music is apparently intangible for most.
My taste in music is clearly obscure to most.
My taste in music is mainly bizarre to most.
My taste in music is typically avoided by most.
Yeah!

[repeat chorusx2]

The daily pop scene is trash,
The daily pop scene is rubbish,
The daily pop scene is junk,
The daily pop scene is nonsense.

[repeat chorus]

Pop scene, pop scene, pop scene...[fades to background]

Loo Hui Ping
4E

The Never Ending March

Our spirits, aching,
Feet sore and raw.
But still we keep on marching
Only to stop at dawn.

Our purposeless existence,
Serves us only
To march, on and on
For all eternity.

The war has ended,
Yet we are obliged
to march, for our sins.
Murderers in arms.

Every night, our appearance.
We fall into rank,
To continue this eternal
Restless life of dead souls.

We are not understood,
We did not want this.
Unwilling we were to die
Or even go to war.

Why are we punished?
When we are not
The ones who made
Suffering for all?

So on and on,
As eternity peaks,
We carry on our march,
Into the never ending dawn.

Melissa Tan
4G

Sacrifice

You struggle and struggle to work something good
In the end, you fail pretty badly.
You fight it for years and years
You even suffer for it that whole time
In the end, what’s left is a torn person.

You have a decision to make,
A pretty important one too.
Your decision would be a sacrifice,
One that would change your future.

Whichever way you go,Would alter your future.
What would you do then?

Rene Ashlie De Payva
4J

Sin

Fumbling in the darkness,
Through this small, constricted cylinder,
My limbs hardly able to stretch,
I reach out, slithering to break free.

The light at the tunnel,
So distant, it seems
To be mocking me,
Taunting my dark and twisted soul.

My skin is scrapped raw,
But I carry on, on and on.
Blood, my blood is pooling,
Streaming downwards, down down down.

I carry on, my last strength fading,
My back, scrapped till the meat is showing.
The grains of sand, stuck,
Like unforgiving burdens upon me.

My sins have thus confined me,
In the place I loath most.
I must break free, break away break away.
Or I will be no more, scrapped away scrapped away.

Melissa Tan
4Grace

Tiny Fingers, Tiny Hands

Last night a hand reached out to me
Its arm withered by want and apathy
Another famine in a foreign place
Another hungry child with flies on her face
I close my eyes and avoid the news
I’ve seen it all before, the children always lose

Tiny fingers, tiny hands
Broken hearts in a stranger’s land

Whatever I do, whatever I say,
It won’t make the world spin another way
Whatever I think, whatever I dream
Won’t make this image appear less obscene
Won’t do any good to cry or shout
My stream of tears can’t end the drought

Tiny fingers, tiny hands
Broken hearts in a stranger’s land

Think about it, think again
I’m too wrapped up in my pain
Got to wake up and fall back into reality
And self doubt is just a triviality
And though my voice sounds pretty small
If we shout together, we can break the walls

With a drop at a time, if we work as a team
We can all create an ocean of hope and dream

Samantha Goh
3G

A Silent Requiem

Tired, faint sighs of the winds,
reverberations, slight,so dim,
Surroundings shiver,leaves drifted away,
The night stands still,the mood's on the edge,
Shifting slightly,those prickly bushes,
Hovering,swaying,those conflicting sounds,
So fonder, so familiar, anonymous.

Cranky,the keys of the piano hit it all,
Unknowingly,silence voices out,debates,
Litigated nature declares victory,
hello,hello,they scream,they shout,
Yet,harmonious bristles are odd,fidgety hair,as the breeze blows about,
cold,spine-itching,skin drooling of a frozen momentum,life out,
icy explanations,drawn so blatently,so callously,so brute,
every note,screeched into the devil,verbatim.
Crash.

Grumpy,territorial citizens,staring and glaring,flaring and blaring,
yet,only grey can be seen,initials initiated so widely on their faces,
all excerpts inserted,tatooed on them,yet they move without a move,
swinging uncertainly,with no one looking,yet,so stationary,
eyes,nose,hand,mouth,lips,drenched out in the waking cold,f
rizzy in the wretching silence,the God of Darkness sets in,
His thunderous roar controls it all,he rules that proportion,
So devouring,so haughty,uproarious,chaos?
Clatter.

Washes away,genuine laughter,soon,it all falls upon,
Glasses seem to shatter,making their entry so definitely,
But none can be seen,no weapon of sanity,insanity?
Trees,struggling to hold their branches,wickedly in the night,
They soar,they whine,they drone on,
Black birds of the flight,
Execution was history,Life's temporary,in the caves of skulls,
underground dungeons,a stench,dead dispositories,lay asleep,
Once more?

The music hangs high in the air,pegs let them go,
The gloomy skies,spirits low
A silent night,
Alive or dead,spirited or crazed?
Ghosts or ghouls?
They dance and sing,they hum and blink,the life of the party,
As they beat to the music,the silent requiem,professionally ethic,
The night is so beautiful,the ballroom is filled.
Full;

Melissa Ong
3G

Nursery Rhyme

T'was morning when we danced you to school
singing nursery rhymes you were taught.
Like mother goose, and the little Indian boys
or the pigs on your fingers that ran up your arm.
But that day in school you sang to a different tune;
The song of sick screams and gurglings in desperation.
First-hand experience like when London Bridge fell,
The suffocation; drowning, like that cat in the well.

Red from the earth, or red from the remains of strewn and torn limbs,
which even the king's men couldn't put together again.
Out of the thousands of bodies lay yours;
the familiar sight of your arm
The cold; bloodied arm which now ended in rotting flesh,
the hand that once tapped to the rhythm of countless rhymes.
'An arm! Just an arm! Oh but how precious it is;'
That was all that was recovered, the only thing they had,
the rest of your bones already ground fine enough to make bread.
Now your cold fingers lie betwixt mine,
The only thing left they could find.
And for the last time, amidst my fears
Wilt you sing to the song of my tears?

Agatha Marie Low
4E

Happiness Is Just A Step Away

All these days,
happiness seems to be just a step away.
Cups filled with ectasy pills,
don't you know this is how i escape?
Everyday i think of regrets,
And all of the things I neglect.
I'm wondering why I even cared,
when were they even there?
Love, and be cut deep in the wounds.
Trust, and you'll taste bittersweet betrayal.
Yet friendships around has become so superficial,
I just wonder how people get by these days living,
a lie they'll never face.
Maybe I need someone to hop along my way,
cross my path and make my day.
Maybe all I need is someone to understand,
to help me, listen and care.
I'm wearing this year's heart on my sleeve,
and my broken rhythm around my neck,
just for a single hope,
that maybe laughter may come one day.
All these days, my happiness is just a step away.

Loh Peiying
3G

Grow Up, Will You?

So here's your spell of honesty
After seasoned lies are told
And if truth is given to all
Then tell the young but spare the old.

Let them see the constant rage
that flow forth from angsty youth.
And when the kiddies come of age,
They'll finally see the truth.

That there's more to being gay
other than happy faces,
and that they're hurt by others
made outcasts, as disgraces.

That there's really more fighting
than we dare to say
And peace doesn't exist
Not here, anyway.

But they'll also see
The lighter side of truth.
But it's too little to be
worth more than lies could.

So tell me a lie
before I dare to venture
I'll use this lie as a ticket
For my next big adventure.

Into a realm I wish I knew not
Where false is remembered
but too bad, love I forgot,
And it's here bodies lay dismembered
and woes survive all the time
Until they fade off-
We're living a crime.

Madeline Wee
3G

Uncle Raja

“… and progress for our nation”
We recite it everyday
His vision that he penned
Lived on and still it stands

A leader, a mentor, a father to all
Yet humility and love was his core
A simple yet accomplished life he led
Indeed a role model we must never forget

The nation mourns of his passing
Giving him their last respects
The imprint he has left in us
Will live forever in our hearts

Wong Jiayen
4G

The Terrorists In Us All

He stood there shaking, a gun to her head,
demanding a hefty ransom paid

two loud BANGS shook the crowd.
“hostage down!” but both were wounded
“finish him!” they chant like his life is worthless.

They wanted justice to be done.
But they couldn’t see
That they were just as worthless as he,
Just as evil as that sinful lad
Who told himself it was okay to slay another man.

That confused man was sorry for what he had done
But they never gave him a second chance.

Robyn Wong
4H

Miss Pride

Who will know?
Who will understand?
Those sitting behind her favourite guests,
Packed with least praises
and strongest sarcasms.
Having misunderstandings
that she never allowed to be told.
When explaining what she meant 'excuses',
it knocked us down
with no other weapons,
to fight for this useless argument.

Who will know?
Who will understand?
Those feelings when she raced through the lessons
nonstop
Shutting those up when confusions arise
punishing those who hum a sound
and forgot about those who can't catch up
As if she was only teaching those,
Sited at the front
and understood her,
When finally the bell went off,
Ended with a long list of jobs,
But having no clue what's going on,
I had no choice but to blank them all.
She gave no mercy
to those who didn't complete,
"They can do it, why can you?",
was the only sentence she claimed my excuse,
forgetting that there are black sheep
hidden among her contestants,
for I could hardly even stroll
let alone speeding down the road.

And who will know?
who can understand?
when she hurled her lungs at me,
humiliating,
making things difficult,
showing biasness
but there is nothing I could do,
for I am no bigger,
to whom i'm talking to.
Her patients were little
and no one dare to battle,
as she often thrice up her temper
but only to some people.

Deep inside me,
was miserable, crestfallen,
it became worst,
when she buried me
under her umpteen trampled
right down beneath her feet,
I forgave what she did to me.
I held back my tears,
and I knew that pride lives within her.
For even Jesus could love children most,
and why can't she just do the same?
wasn't Pride the big bad devil,
who taught her to be small,
who taught her
to limit her circle of respect,
to only certain people.

The anguish I felt,
the disappointment I had,
they had no longer existed.
Though she still picks on me,
labeling her signboard,
"because I care",
but no matter how hard I tried my best,
there will never be little stickers,
cheers or gummy bears,
encouragements were never sent,
and for all I know,
because I was just slower then the rest.

But my mind is set.
I’ll prove to her when the slips return,
results that would shock her flat.
But maybe for I know,
that day was reserved,
specially for her precious pets,
for all that she had fed,
glorified her and send her to the best.
By then, she will be too busy to even
peep on mine, or to give me a pat.

But oh Dear people,
don't get mad,
for most are angels,
and they truly care.

Sarah Chan Shi Min
4 Justice

Ode to Gossipers

We point, wisper and giggle.
everytime she passes us by.
We joke about all her imperfections.

She can't bear the pain inside
She runs home each day and cries till night
hating the way she looks outside.

We give her nicknames, it's no big deal
You don’t know the pain she feels

Her friends stop talking to her
Her life falls apart.

The game that began so innocent
Has broken a fragile heart.

Robyn Wong
4H

Our Fiend

We weep in sorrow.
They were thrilled with laughter.

We suffered in fear.
They grinned with elation.

We were tempted.
They had smiles spreading across their faces.

We were tortured.
They danced in jovial.

We bitterly failed.
They cheered in victory.

Deserving no such luxury,
We served them to succeed,
For we hunger greed,
We’ll never win.

Sarah Chan Shi Min
4Justice

Scars of Flight

Nighttime creaks silently forward
Enveloping the world in darkness,
She stops, listens, prays for her safety,
Her body, bloody, swollen with fear
And uncertainty of what lies ahead.

She cannot stop, her past is catching up,
She must run, she must hide, no time to rest.
She took off, flinging away the branches, the leaves, the animals
Those who stood by and watch as she
Bled, scarred all over, while the trees
Hanging overhead stared at her,
Watching silently, branches still.

It reminded her of THE people.
The unkind stares, the piercing chants,
The unforgiving feeling that sank onto her body,
Drowning her in a sea of hate,
She felt the ropes bite into her skin, her mind, her soul
Cutting off more than her blood.

Its time. The blade rose high, gleaming in the sun,
Her head drooped down, her pleas? None.
The arrow came as swift as a fox, as silent as a grave.
No longer was she bound,
Her heels took over,
Towards the woods,
Where she could not be found.

Nur Aniszah
4 Humility

Would I Be Punished?

“All a poet can do today is warn.
That is why the true poet must be truthful.” -Wilfred Owen

Would I be punished?
If I were to say
you’re like a terrorist?
Terrorising us with
your shouts,
your criticism.
Terrorising us while we were
in the spotlight.
Concentrating,
trying our best.
But you just sat there,
twirling your hair.
Constantly putting us down,
picking on us
with your shrill and irritating voice.
You never appreciate us,
and I doubt you ever will.

Would I be punished?
If I were to say
you’re so demanding?
Let me count the ways…
Shouting at us,
“Get lost!’ you always say
if we missed a line or two.
Ordering your subordinates
like they are way beneath you.
Denying their breaks,
if they were deemed lousy in your eyes,
although they tried their best to
appease and please you.
Come to think about it,
you remind me of HITLER.

Would I be punished?
If I were to say
You’re not fit to be
where you’re at now?
I think you went against
all your professional ethics.
Through the way you speak,
through your actions.
You certainly do not deserve all the
authority and respect.
Do not get me wrong,
I’m not trying to rebel,
I’m just trying to be true,
and I’m definitely not talking about you.
But if you insist that I am,
then there’s nothing I can do.
It just proves you have a guilty conscience.

So, oh please!
Do not sue me!
Do not single me out!
Would I be punished
for just speaking the truth?

Jaime Wong
4H

Beginning Of The End?

Running, running towards no end,
Swimming in an endless stream.
When will this cease, when will this end,
When it has only just began?
No one can help me,
This stress has shrouded me,
Enveloped me, has digressed my senses
To nothingness.

When will this end?
No longer can this go on,
No longer can this haunt me,
Can I take it, can I handle it,
Please set me free!

The end is near; I feel it in the wind,
The time to quench the thirst,
The time to finish my deed.
Did I do it well?
Did I come out stronger,
How can I tell?
God! This has me spiraling,
fluctuating, derailing,
In and out of control.

Finally! The light has spoken,
I’m coming! Wait up!
No! Can this be?
You promised me for eternity,
Trapped forever in this dungeon,
Myself, the one I unwittingly built for me.
Twin rivers flow down,
Feelings cascading out of me,
Down, down I went,
Further and deeper,
Blinded by fear,
Tied in tiers,
As I fall, the only thought running through my mind,
How can it end?
When it has only just began?

Nur Aniszah
4 Humility

They Do Nothing

I saw a man sitting,
one day on the bus.
He looked tall and strong,
seemed like nothing was wrong.
Then came an old, old lady,
small and old and weak.
She was holding bags of groceries,
seemed like she needed a seat.
She stood in front of that man,
yet he did nothing.

The other day,
I saw this young school girl,
holding a donation can,
shouting “Come, save the world!”
she approached a woman who
looked like she could afford a dollar.
Despite sincere looks and pleadings,
she did nothing.

Once, while reading the newspaper
with large, bold headlines:
Poverty in Africa: WORSE!
Then I flipped to the next page,
reports on the rich and famous.
The cars they bought,
the latest fashion on them.
They know about poverty,
of course they do.
They know the helpless need help,
indeed they do.
Yet, they do nothing.

Yesterday, I watched the Discovery Channel.
It was showing documentary on Arab women.
How they were treated like slaves,
how they were not getting respect from men.
How many were killed and abused
for just speaking to a male fellow friend.
They called it:
Pride.
Reputation.
Gives them the right to murder?
Claimed that their religion justified it,
is it for real?
Their president claimed the
Government is helping.
But still they need the money,
for weapons, planes and bombs
the irony of it all:
To fight wars.
The women turned to them for help,
bruises and blood tricking down,
Yet, they do nothing.

So how is ‘help’ help?
Or ‘kindness’ kindness?
A ‘big heart’ big heart?
When the bottom line is:
they do nothing.

Jaime Wong
4H