hollerback@you

WISH- Assignment 3 | 9:14 PM

Nice poem, but LATE (:

A new semester and a new timetable,
I stepped into class with a yawn.
We’re already in our final year, each module seemed the same.
Fifteen minutes late, and still sleepy from the late night,
I initially thought Mr ET introduced the class as “WISH”.


Mr ET showed us a music video, many artists singing “We are the World”.
Mr ET said he shed some tears, I giggled instead.
But once home, I googled the lyrics of the song, and looped the video on youtube.
I understood it much better.
I chain-watched Michael Jackson videos for another hour.
I understood them all much better.


One of those Tuesdays, we played Risk.
Underneath all the awkward small talk and quiet introduction to group mates,
We all stared at our little plastic soldiers with intense concentration.
As the game got going, we laughed more, swore a little bit more.
I imagined myself as Britain, and visualized countries for my team mates which seemed most apt.
After two hours, I was itching to grab the board game from a nearby mall.
I could almost guess the countries each of my family members would resemble.


On a new Tuesday, we watched another movie of oppressed Blacks in South America.
They are my dad’s favourite; I’ve developed an immunity of feeling to similar movies.
Mr ET talked to us after the screening.
He talked a lot. And made me feel a lot too.
I learned to think, specifically pick out reasons for the falling out, and the falling together again.
I learnt to pinpoint the themes of reconciliation, and match them to other similar movies.
I went home to practise.


Another one of those Tuesdays, we visited DiD.
The pitch black darkness was unsettling.
The humility of our visually handicapped guides was unsettling too.
But I learnt to focus less on the loss of sight, but instead on the senses that remained.
Calling out to my friends, stretching out our arms and fingers, listening closely to every sound,
Seemed better than repeatedly opening my eyes and hoping night vision would miraculously appear.


One more Tuesday, we visited a camp belonging to SAF Specialist Infantry.
We waved to a friend who dropped out of Ngee Ann Polytechnic early, and was marching rounds on the parade square.
We tried his food rations, we tried firing his artillery.
I consider myself brave, reckless and unafraid of heights.
But I backed away from firing blanks with the machine guns.
The noise was cold hearted, and extremely brutal. I hated it.
I could not imagine my male classmates standing in front or behind these weapons.


WISH has been eventful and sent turmoil of emotion through me every Tuesday.
I learnt how to greater appreciate videos or movies themed around conflict, and relate them better to real life scenarios.
Reading newspapers now is more interesting, I can re-enact scenes of violence reported in the articles in my mind.
I understand now from Risk of the different priorities and their subsequent actions that many people choose.
During a quarrel now, I take a step back to look for their motives and risks that they are taking.
I learnt now how dark someone’s world turns after their sight is lost.
I continuously remind myself to be optimistic now, to grieve less, and focus on what remains.
I learnt to empathize with the victims of the brutality of war.
Eventually I might have to grow to accept firepower, but never embrace it.

the photo dumps | i don't trust my hard-drive

  • 30DLC: Letters to Love
  • Favs: unforgettable

    • About Joy

    i eat SOIL
    & i spell my name as SHOY
    & i look good in ALUMINIUM FOIL.
    i treat lovers as my TOYS
    & i flirt with girls* and BOYS
    & my next target's ---
    cause i am JOY

    copyright KAIQI&ANAN(:



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