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Moving People With Words

Poems on the MRT

In This City by MR Mizan

 

In this city of spring I have faced life
and I have learnt to live.
My sweat is poured in her streets
and I won it all, soaked in her rain.
Sweat drops brought me to the addiction of rain.
I thought rain was my sweat.
My sweat turns villages to metros
and metros into civilization.
I drew pictures in her eyes.
I built her a beautiful urban landscape.
In this city, I bled
and sped the wings of my dreams too.
My memories are lost in the pain of labour.
afternoons of familiar stories and laughter forgotten.
Thirst is hidden behind blank smiles and courteous lies
but she is still alive in heart-a lifelong wait.

Published in Call and Response: A Migrant/Local Poetry Anthology (2018)

Mizanur Rahaman was born in Bangladesh into a family where love was often overshadowed by harsh realities. After earning a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, he moved to Singapore, leaving behind his home and culture. He began his career as a shipyard Safety Supervisor but found solace in writing. A naturally shy person, Mizanur uses writing to express his thoughts and feelings, often losing work due to his reluctance to publish. Singapore, with its development, cleanliness, and discipline, deeply inspired him, leading to a series of writings dedicated to the city. He writes primarily poetry and short stories, some of which have been published in magazines and by various publishers.

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Poems on the MRT is an initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with SMRT and Stellar Ace. Produced by Sing Lit Station, a local literary non-profit organisation, this collaboration displays excerpts of Singapore poetry throughout SMRT’s train network, integrating local literature into the daily experience of commuters. Look out for poems in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South and Circle Lines, as well as videos created by local artists and featuring local poets in stations and on trains. The Chinese, Malay, and Tamil poems are available in both the original languages and English. To enjoy the full poems, commuters may read them on go.gov.sg/potm.

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