Mynah
Thread-thin
twig by marigold
beak, feathered
crown swivels,
beady eyes saccade,
hopping across
the tarmac,
before it lifts
its dark plumes,
to leave with
its daily sprig:
A lithe heart throbs
for a home in
weave.
Migrant’s Song
Rainy afternoon in Petaling
Radio playing Oasis’ dirty riff
Recalling never-fading nights
Under the half moons.
Yet miss me not
My silhouette can be found everywhere:
Shadows on your buzzing thoroughfares,
Quiet sighs in kitchens’ doorways,
Haunted faces in Calais Jungle,
The meandering lines at Heathrow;
And you’ll know us
When you hear our
Staccato English.
Rex Tan
Rex Tan is a journalist by trade and a poet at heart. As a Malaysian, he is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Malay yet calls none his first language.