When Will We Meet Again

by Chua Han Au

I walked down the stairs
past the piano
in the night,
watching faded vestiges play;
wrenching my heart with bloodied hands
forcefully

we gathered jovially
on the marble floor, round wooden tables
exhaling laughters, inhaling humour
accompanied aptly with pineapple tarts and gummies

now late in the night
I begin to ponder
when will we meet again?
perhaps the next would be when
we’re all different
vastly different
with tattoos on our hearts
and decorum in our speech

I feel utterly apologetic
that technology has to come
and rend times meant for bonding

it’s painful to watch
your countenance relegate from
sheer excitement to
grave angst

…

but I’m glad we ended off well
like an icing on a cake —
perfectly shaped and smoothed

I sincerely hope
you’ll retain your childlike fervency —
feed it with curiosity and wit
don’t kill it
like how time has done

for our enthusiasm