Wristbands of the Wheel of the World

Poem in English, written at Poesiaeuropa 2023

First, closest to palm and digits:
know what this is. Know what you're worth —
tiger. Dragon. Phoenix. The hurt
should never make you loose sleep
over the opinion of those who eat
others alive, body, mind, heart and soul.
This is how
you keep yourself whole.

The second set, too, is involved in
reminding you of love, and faith, and charity, and hope.
Fate would have it
that zombie outbreaks are actually not that foreign. You, alone, know
that fearlessness does not come from being right, or rich, or dauntless, or outspoken:
courage emerges, brave, ferocious little lion
from never letting go of that beautiful, noble vision
of all sentient creatures alive and well
living in unison.

Third, now, the cost of the die.
The rainbow bridge, and the strange purple floral sky
of the woods you were born in, little Puck,
little champion of all those left to wander the night.
Never forget that the antidote to the plague
is not even that much mischief; it is made of just
simply being proud that you have nothing to hide,
and doing your best to make things right
without violence. Peace, and love, and flowers among us.
Let there, always, be both day and night.

And Fourth — all those denied
justice, and truth, and real, virtuous Life:
you, Dragon, must be Living, Breathing Pride
in spite of everything they have done to you
to cause violation, terror, and sheer, trembling fright.
Be the body neutral, the body tranquil,
the body sexual, the body beautiful.
The body made of brown, bold, blossoming might.

Fifth, last of all,
and greatest. Kente bands, representing all the places
looking to you, Merlionsman of the Islands, the Tundras and the Deserts.
Anyone can be a hero. A saint or sinner. A firebreathing lizard. A magician or a wizard.
But only one person can be you, Kevin Martens Wong.
Only one person wears every last memory of the Roda Mundansa's mysteries and hazards

on arms, and muscles, and calm,
breathing skin:
you know you are, will be, and have always been
your own way forward.