Haikuku by Gwee Li Sui

This volume could well be subtitled the social history of Singapore in 120 haiku. There are haiku about MRT breakdown, rat infestation, haze, 377A, hungry ghosts and cavorting community cats. There are also those of matters of socio-political import: 2011 GE, population management, personal data protection, leadership renewal and compassionate meritocracy. Gwee adds to his army haiku that won prizes from the SAF with others of a military theme in Purple Light and Tekong diarrhea. Then there are newsy haiku reporting on NIMBY, the royal visit, that Holland V bank robbery plus The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye. He does not forget the newsmakers either – the otters, the Little India Riot hero, A-Mei, Subhas Anandan, Phey Yew Kok, Joseph Schooling and that si geena who shall not be named. Also remembered is our dear Ah Kong in a pair of death anniversary haiku, and a sad one about the empty parade chair. There are haiku about our places we love, the hawker centre, cenotaph, kopitiam, Sungei Road, Singapore River… This is book of haiku, backed by a nation-wide haiku writing contest, for every Singaporean – kuku or not.