Notes from the Sister City
Poetry · Taiwan
Kaohsiung and Brisbane are said to be sister cities, bound together by our relationships to river, to floods, to lower-class accents.
While travelling I naturally built a habit of taking many more photos, but after the first month looking back at my pictures I realised I was missing critical qualia from my journey. That is when I resolved to begin writing poems, with constrained time windows and in place.
The goal was not to make good art, but to capture my memories in a way a camera could not. The following three poems are a taste of that process.
Content note: Contains adult content related to sexuality & grief.
Sisterhood
22/09/25
M887+99 布里斯本公園 Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
I saw a jacaranda planted in Kaohsiung soil,Too far from the plaqueSisterhood, is that why I’m here?
In the cover of night I find a broad based treeI peel back the bark, and there is a chance,
its too thickI already know thisI crush a leaf and it smells woody
An Uncle passes me, and I wonder what he sees?
Does he know we’re sisters?
Fishbowl Freedom
01/11/25 - 20:01-20:51
J8WF+W3, 我的家 Sanmin District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Panopticon bring it on, mirrors chip,I will flitinside coloured light.
Glint in the eyes, gawk or warden, dare me,stare at me, o'fair maiden go there with me. Freeyourself from chains you put onwe, can go further than you think.
Light touch turns to dragging fingers, kissing skinwinks at what might be. If our hips can adjoinwhat of your eyes? Beholder find the beauty of this, findmine.
Shutters, silent by design, hidden by attempt,obvious in nature.Spread my legs, open aperture - use your cheapseat, front row, compose this scene.
And what of voyeurs' viewers, are they scrolling through?Do they linger on us, on you? Point a finger to tap a single beat heart,are you making this flame a star.
Eyes as far as I can see, sliced angles and cut while I take a shot,glancing my skin, glimpse at the diva. But while you visitplease see me.
心
02/11/25 – 00:08 (Written across midnight)
J8Q3+R2H 在高雄車站上 Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Sanmin District
I’ve put myself down somewhere and lost him,standing in the middle of something, mess,heart, or the universe.
Who was I when I knew me, where did Igo and bury him. We need an plaintiff to prosecuteextrajudicial killing – got no standing, loitering insideKaohsiung complaining to myself about autocide.
City of Illumination, where is your shining truth?
Are these roads back to where I came from or newbeginnings.Lit with the colours Gosia sees, are they blue veins,violet leylines, just stop lights-crimson arteries to the heart, pulse with life, maybeheart strings holding this stressball in tension.
I can point out to myself the paths to you all,but I hesitate to walk them, a disallowance hangs.Things I should be doing and none of them are y’allbut if being with my loves is breathing, alone is asphyxiation.
Yet midnight, and no one is here.
Realising a centre only has enough space for a singularity.
Written out in Caveat; the Chinese characters in Yuji Boku.
Animation built with Claude Code.