Singapura, Riding the Tiger

Two sheets to the wind, one irate
auntie in hot pursuit
flip flops across the parkade
oblivious to
the noon-tide gaggle of teens
uploading her
stormy disposition

hung
          over
and heat drained
the morning found me,
much too early for my liking,
in a deserted coffee stall
just off the edge of madness,
Bishan Blk 13

contemplating whether
Kopi O

              or
diving back into the deep end
(riding a tall tiger
through another day's senselessness)
was the better nurse maid
for a misplaced soul.

A man can get lost
     here
amidst the drifting consistency of money

     making

no one's got time to spare
bothering

                  with
a bleached out

punch drunk

     gwailou
hiding out, making

     dew

drop rhymes.

I do believe it's time

I went back to riding the tiger--

let the wayward soul

wander.

Ken e Bujold

© 2022

Reviews

[Stuart Munro]

Ken , Great Poem , wish I could write long poems , but I’m a short writer , Gwaliou hiding out making dew drop rhymes , my fav line ,,
Riding a tiger , I like that as well

[Ken e Bujold]

Gwailou and tiger tips of the hat to my family and friends in Singapore, which is sort of my 2nd home. Tiger is their national beer, not bad by the way. Gwailou is a mild slur for wide eyes or Caucasians (though no other than the China Chinese working in the city-state really use it anymore) but my flens as they say, will howl at it
Ken e

[Stuart Munro]

Thanks Ken , for the explanation , I was curious
Have a great Tuesday night , try and cut down on the Tigers , the Bar , must be doing a roaring trade

[W. Barrett Munn]

This is just an amazing piece of writing, Ken. I have been sitting in that same booth, the same coffee stall just off edge, maybe over. This brings back memories-and not all pleasant, but pleasant to know they were not only real but shared with someone somewhere. I never had the excesses of money but I have had the excesses of crazy, and drunk is the only way to ride a tiger.
Winston

[Ken e Bujold]

Singapore is my 2nd home, my wife is from there. These days whenever I am there it's as a freeloader, so to speak, as all my inlaws and friends still need to survive the daily grind of what is one of the world's most beautiful places, but has also been described "as the world's most successful corporation."