Leaving Heathrow

Paul Tan Kim Liang

in my country
there are no bomb alert notices in train stations
packages can only be gifts

in my country
there are no old homeless ladies who nap away
the daylight hours in empty churches

in my country
there are no dark-faced youths at Burger King
who pretend to forget your order

no ruts to lodge suitcase wheels
no heel-eating gravel paths, no bland Chinese food
no gay pride marches, no busking beggars

in my small country
there are none of the things
and more

Published in Curious Roads (1994)


Postcolonial Web Singapore OV Singaporean Literature Paul Tan Kim Liang