Leonard Ng
SELECTED POEMS
an excerpt from Across the Hours of Sleeplessness and Waking
November sunset—
twisting through the molten sky
mynahs and tempestrain at eventide:
lightning scores a brilliant gash
across the twilightgazing at each
other across a wide horizon—
the twilit sky and Ilight pale and frozen,
fractured by the fagile steel
of dancers’ clothescompeting to see
who snuffs out the candles first—
my breath and the windchildren tell stories
to other children, tender
beneath the lamplightshining fish leap
from my crowded countertop—
moonlight!slipping silently
through the perfect night, sleep’s wings
beat soft steady strokesRain shrouds the city
an hour before sunrise;
the girl next to me
shifts a little, nestled warm,
murmuring softly in her sleep
by Leonard Ng
from Changes and Chances (2014)
