Lee Wen (1957–2019)

SELECTED POEMS

untitled, February 2013.

how left became a dirty word
as right became wrong
while teaching us to sing kischy national songs

The PAP, in its present form, is a right-wing party. Privatisation and
deregulation, high military spending, minimal commitment to social
welfare benefits, antagonism towards trade unions and industrial action,
rejection of minimum wage, a fondness for social hierarchy (whether
it be from the stratification and elitism that meritocracy produces, or
through ‘Asian Values’ that encourage uncritical deference to authority)
are all hallmarks of its rule. Being right-wing means being uncompro-
misingly, unapologetically, pro-business to the very end.

untitled, January 2014.

don’t you just love what is going on now,
its so much, its too much and yet not enough
we get so busy nothing seems to get done

its right time
to walk the sunflowers 

nice time to walk with sunflowers

untitled, February 2014.

THE FACT IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN RIDING ON THAT SAME
BUS ALL THESE YEARS ONLY PROBLEM SOME ARE TRY-
ING TO DRIVE IN DRUNKENESS OR NOT CLEAR HOW TO
OR MAYBE DRIVING US OVER THE CLIFF OR JUST GOING
ROUND IN CIRCLES CLAIMING WE ARE MOVING ON. BUT
ACTUALLY THE BUS GOT AN OUTDATED ENGINE 300YEARS
OLD AND ALL I AM SAYING IS LETS GET THAT UPDATED 
CHANGED AND REALLY GET IT GOING. CAUSE WE HAVE 
NOT MOVED AN INCH FOR 20 YEARS. WE ARE ONLY PARTY-
ING AND REDECORATING THIS BUS IN AN ILLUSION THAT
WE MOVED ON BUT HEY WAIT I SAY HEY LOOK BROTHERS
AND SISTERS LOOK WHAT CHANGED RATHER MAYBE WE
ARE CHAINED BY INVISIBLE CHAINS OF COMPLACENCY,
ABARENCE OF COMFORT MISTAKING OUR SECURITY AS 
SAFE WHEN WE ARE DEAD AND DROWNING IN TH PRISON 
DECORATIVELY BUILT LIKE A PARADIZE, WE ARE NUMBED,
BRAIN DEAD BY PROPAGANDA OF PARANOIA AND FEAR,
BLINDED BY FAKE SUCCESS. IF WE CANNOT SEE THIS WE
WILL NOT SEE THE CHANGED WORLD WE DREAMED FOR….
FOR DREAMS CAN ONLY BE ACTIVATED INTO REALITY BY
WAKING UP.

untitled, October 2014.

i bite
because the hand did not give 
didn’t give but expected me to be the same 
I bite because I was alive and hungry 
i bite because I want to live and grow 
yes i bite cause you only give to discipline 
but i wanted to serve with love not fear

untitled, February 2015.

I m well as hell cause today i learnt to fight my pain by sheer will power.

by Lee Wen
from Boring Donkey Songs (2017)

  

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