A visual representation of "City" by Louise Ho
WONG Wai Hin
YCH Wong Wha San Secondary School
I got my inspiration from the poem ‘City’ by Louise Ho.
I took the first person perspective in my artwork.
The reflection of the prosperous city in the glass contrasts with the filthy background,
a typical ‘home’ of the street-sleepers.
He is segregated from all hustle and bustle of the city as he is only experiencing it as a 2D image.
To him, the city is merely a reflection. Among all the happenings,
he is enjoying the peace of the city with the drinking mug in his hands.
He is savoring every bit of the blandness of the cold water, all by himself.
City
No fingers claw at the bronze gauze
Of a Hong Kong December dusk,
Only a maze of criss-crossing feet
That enmeshes the city
In a merciless grid.
Between many lanes
Of traffic, the street-sleeper
Carves out his island home.
Or under the thundering fly-over,
Another makes his own peace of mind.
Under the staircase,
By the public lavatory,
A man entirely unto himself
Lifts his hand
And opens his palm.
His digits
Do not rend the air,
They merely touch
As pain does, effortlessly.
Louise Ho
“City” was published in Incense Tree: Collected Poems of Louise Ho by Louise Ho, p.45. Copyrights © 2009 by Hong Kong University Press.