Singapore





We visited Singapore in March  2020, during the corona virus outbreak, and it was empty! They've totally banned travel from China so tourism is down around 90%. This made it great for us - no crowds,  no queues,  but it's a disaster for their economy.  Nevertheless we enjoyed our stay and made the most of our 3 days by cramming a lot in.  I was struck by their love of pattern, and this has influenced the format I've chosen to use.   


So beautiful, so varied, 
So clean, neat and tidy
So hot and humid,
So friendly, so empty,
So Singapore. 

Towers of sharp-edged glass and steel
The business district with its sleek, slick feel.

Hawker centre food from stove, fire or wok
Westminster chimes on the central clock.

On the harbourfront pier, phones click away
While the Merlion fountain spouts into the bay.

Triple towers topped by a platform so wide
We stand suspended, thirty six stories high.

Chinatown shop houses form a low rise contrast,
We can't understand their words, or their world in the past.

Cloud forest trapped inside a huge glass dome
Steel trees, floating baby, river eggs, chrome.

A tropical downpour on the southern ridge trail
This city once rainforest, our walk curtailed.

Sentosa Island, a rich man's resort
Deserted beaches, cable cars, shops.

So beautiful, so varied,
So clean, neat and tidy
So hot and humid,
So friendly, so empty,
So Singapore. 



© Copyright 2020. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved











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