Murmur, The Making Of It Poem by Desmond Kon

and the kings of freedom said
make of the crimson another magenta
and carnelian, of history that blankets yet
uncovers, a sheath of a redder safelight
a rudder present and tomorrow, always
the murmur of love, another carmine
beyond bulwark and walling rampart
beyond sealant and curtain walls
between asphalt, field and metaphor
and mystery, across to the roses
and peonies more roseate on the turn
around the corners, always the love





Author’s Note:

This poem was penned for The Kings of Freedom Project, named after the four panels of the Berlin Wall which The Hefner Art Collection donated to Singapore. The four panels have been installed in the Bedok Reservoir Park, with the support of the National Parks Board, marking the 20th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989. With its full line of caesurae in a continuum, this sonnet takes its cue from John Cage's three-movement composition,4'33'.

I penned this poem on the Kings of Freedom tee, further deconstructed and reconfigured by Karen Kon. On 1 November, it was exhibited at a fashion show during a gala dinner at Ritz-Carlton.