God set you down on a tranquil lawn
Your chestnut feathers mottled with specks of white and black
I clasped her hand softly, sitting by concrete-paved steps
I feared the sound of our thighs, pressed against the hewn stone
Would somehow remind you of who you are
ANXIETY!
Whatarethosetwogiantssittingtherewatchingmefor
PANIC!
WillIbecagedwillIbeharmedwhatiftheycrushedmeintheirclumsyarms
I’m glad you hopped, when you could have flown
I’m glad you chirped, although you cannot groan
Sparrow is my brother, the one I refuse to acknowledge at family gatherings
Sparrow is my brother, the one I speak cursory sentences to
Anxiety fathered us, Fear beget us
I am sorry brother, I cannot acknowledge you
I cannot recognise my instinct to fly
I have to fight with gritted teeth, not peck at grass with tiny beaks
But I love you, little sparrows
The way an estranged older brother still loves his younger brother
I wish I could flutter at the slightest disturbance
Take to the trees at the onset of a breeze
Little sparrows, little friends
The Bible taught me I have nothing to fear because God feeds you
Little sparrows, little friends, your chirping and fluttering nourishes my strength
***It is 12 hours after the evening with the sparrows, and I am back at the National Museum for the
Jubilee Walk at 6 in the morning***
It’s 6am again, like it always seems to be
None of this is natural, not least of all being awake at this time on a Sunday
There is a pinkish hue on the faces of noisy families
Neon lights will do that to you
They jostle behind temporary yellow barricades, like livestock in a pen
Inflatables of the Courtesy Lion and the MRT loom in front of the National Museum
Like the event, organisers, and participants, they are socially-constructed and full of hot air
The boisterous emcee on a makeshift stage booms into the mic:
“Singapore, are you ready?”
The crowd brays in response
Yes, I think you’re ready. Ready for absurd fuckery.
Where else can you find 25,000 passive people
Who expect spoon-fed heritage
Told where to walk
Shown what to cherish
And when to take a fucking selfie?
25,000 people, going for a walk that they never had the initiative to plan by themselves
Culture, thy name is commodity.
