rodents.

i suddenly remembered my hamster poem.

that one got printed in capsule (some singaporean anthology) and was my very very first published work, in print and still, very unfortunately, still available in the library (actually libraries, i think i gave marine parade library a copy long time ago), of all places. i keep telling cy (who also has stuff in it, but nothing he wants to burn. he likes capsule, actually i really do too, just not me in it.) that i have this burning wish to erase this from print and walk away from it.

since i cannot, and because an old flame once called it "a very cute poem" and since i am in the dj mix mood (like my salesguy said: "club dj and djdj veri diffffelent one!") shall try darn bestest of bestest to remix it.

*crack fingers, snuff cigarette,* here goes:

circle streets (original as printed in capsule)

The cars, they run the circle streets,
little dots in harmonious replay
round and repeat with no hope of destination,
like hamsters hard at their wheels.
Never ending, never knowing.
We run our own circle streets
round and repeat till we die
either of exhaustion or despair
it matters not which.
And so ending, we are mocked,
by other hamsters
hard at their own wheels.
Who in turn laugh their own who fall,
and they, those before.
and so, round and repeat, with no sight
of a beginning.
And as before, no end.

We, hamsters hard at our beloved wheels.
Round and repeat,
round and repeat.
Never knowing, never ending.

****

the remix

my hamster's wheel

I brought my hamster to the window
as a break
from his wheel and routine
of seeds and newspaper fillings
to point at cars, the traffic
repeating the lanes
scouring the exits
for scraps of a destination.

I filled his water as I watched him
haul himself back into the wheel,
hesitate for a moment before
the wheel starts turning again.
He'll be up all night
until he arrives at his destination.

I went back, for
a cup of coffee,
the table, the keyboard, the monitor
the mouse
wondering
how much longer my head would take
to stop spinning.

****
aiyah.. cannot still. but brain pain. give me a while...