Robert Yeo (b. 1940)

1. BIOGRAPHY

2. CRITICAL INTRODUCTION

3. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

4. SELECTED POEMS

• Spring

• Election 1976

• The Search

• A Poem as a Fan

• Saigon 1

• Dream

• Mummy What

• Those in Urban Yellow

• Faith

5. SELECTED VIDEOS

6. TRACK CHANGES: “WALL”

SELECTED POEMS

Mummy What

Mummy what shall I wear?
The blue mini
Shall I wear that blue skirt
The one you made for me?

How shall I look tonight?
This is my third date
With him, and the last time
He said I just looked great

Mummy may I use your lipstick?
Not the Christian Dior
I prefer the Max Factor one
The one that caught daddy dear

Her’s taking me tonight, mummy,
To the Rasa Sayang
And how shall I dance tonight?
What’s the meaning of rasa sayang?

And if he wants to hold me close
Tonight as he did last week
Shall I let him, mummy, please?
May I dance cheek to cheek?

And if he wants to kiss me
Mummy, shall I let him?
I don’t know when to close my eye
Will it all seem like a dream?

by Robert Yeo
from The Best of Robert Yeo (2012)

SELECTED POEMS: “Those in Urban Yellow” >