Heroes and Rats
When the Japanese first arrived,
I made a pact with my friends to stand strong,
but month after month of atrocities,
our spirits were drained.
First, Kim Leng was killed during the Sook Ching,
Then, someone snitched on Yip Meng.
Next, Hok Seng died of cholera.
One by one, my friends passed away.
The Nippon soldiers
ravaged our land, women
and wealth. People were tortured
or killed for no apparent reason.
My wife and children were
bunches of skin and bones.
We had to be careful of what we said.
As rats, real and metaphorical
scampered through Syonan-to
where brother turned against brother
But there were the war heroes,
who stood out in times of need
to raise the spirits of the people
Elizabeth Choy,
Lim Bo Seng,
Choy Koon Heng,
and other ordinary people
stood out in contrast to the rats.
This was the Singaporeans spirit
War truly brings out the
best and the worst of people.
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