Jollin Tan (b. 1993)
SELECTED POEMS
The Lover as Figured in Impressionist Terms
In the taxi home the radio station plays old pop ballads
about Peter Pan-Style longing, and the street lamps are gold
on wet tarmac, everything a glossy blur. It becomes odd to think
of myself as part of the scenery, squatting silly amongst the neon
bushes. There in that small space with the leaves on my neck
like cacti, I feel like a small lake hiding an ocean
of spinning gyres, like dancers extending their bodies to the ends
of their ribbons, leaking life. I am not terrified. I want to cross-hatch
myself into this colour scheme, a glowing twig or entire bright field.
One thought becomes porous in my mind and sweats
itself out in my breath: elsewhere, you by a window being stroked
by the sun's cat tail, your shadow moving as if to elongate, and
then running away.
by Jollin Tan
first published in Softblow (2018)
