Bourgeoise

This month’s Word It is ‘bourgeoise’, which brings to mind the following poem by Heng Siok Tian

To be unbourgeoise

To be unbourgeoise
Singaporeanly
is to pack a sandwich lunch to lighten the burden
of a three-month no-pay leave
from work.

To be unbourgeoise
Singaporeanly
is to walk into record shops
to steal free music
because I am too cheap to buy a portable disc-player.

To be unbourgeoise
Singaporeanly
is to buy a takeaway coffee,
sip it carefree
in a park with no harried parents.

To be unSingaporean
is to admit
I write a thing called poetry
and for that matter
unapologetically.