This week brings a special treat to our readers - we are honored to share not one, but two poetic responses to our recent piece "A hole in the heart." It's deeply moving to see how this personal narrative has resonated with our community, inspiring others to process and reflect through their own creative expression. These poems offer unique perspectives on themes of parental love, medical uncertainty, and finding wholeness in apparent imperfection. We are grateful to our contributors for sharing their artistic interpretations of this deeply personal journey.
BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published An unclosed hole in the heart
is called ventricular septal defect
When we come to this world,
there is a mission. To combine
the left and the right:
tubes, loops,
then chambers,
finally septation.
This forms the pump of us
at the first few weeks
of life. Blood synchronising
hole-heartedly; breath vibrating
leak-pipedly in a French horn.
Who conduct this harmony
of human formation? Some notes are
out-of-beat, some buzz like murmurs,
some stand out unexpectedly -
like a syncopation.
It is still perfect, to be holed.
Who call you a defect?
When we come to this world,
we are to achieve a fusion.
We beat our growing heart,
together, in our own rhythm.
Peter Chow is a geriatrician in Changi General Hospital. In the day, he talks to the elderly patients and their families to understand their medical conditions, care needs and illness experiences. At night, he reads poetry and fiction to explore the boundaries of human thoughts and emotions. This enables him to reconnect the dots collected in his daily work to a beautiful picture - through creative writing.
An Adventure Awaits
Today I reflect on the day
of the arrival of the bad
unwelcome news
relating back to the defect's discovery
I cannot help
marvelling at the myriad miracles
you have brought us through
woven and wrought
at every flood and drought
streams appeared through the years
from tears
in times of joy
in times of sadness
sometimes with hilarity
mixed incongruously
no matter the season
the streams of living water
going and flowing where you plant
will always be a reality
yours truly having tasted
kindness
goodness and grace
I hope to be
a bringer
of good news and hope
at Advent an adventure awaits
authored by the alpha and the omega
Pushcart Prize nominee Jennifer Leong aka Soy Avocado, is a lawyer by profession and an advocate for hope. She began writing poetry in 2021 to fundraise for autism. On 22.4.22, divinely inspired, she created the DuaTresPentaStep poetry form. Her poem ‘Hills’ in this form won the Spirit of the Festival Award at the Frances Browne Literary Festival Multilingual Poetry Competition 2022 in Ireland.
To her, poetry is much more than form. Because poetry uplifts the spirit and community, she started running 'Try Poetry' workshops at National University of Singapore Society and the National (Central Public) Library to encourage poetry writing. Jennifer also organised 'conVerse' on Racial Harmony Day on 21.7.24 that featured poetry and other art genres by contributors from diverse backgrounds. Paintings showcased at 'conVerse' with her poem 'A Rose Arose' subsequently fundraised for charity.
One who posts poems daily on social media, Jennifer's written and spoken word has surfaced at Poetry Festival Singapore, other Asian countries, Ireland, the UK and USA.