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Explore Singapore Through Sing Lit
Now in its third year, Poems on the MRT continues to bring you on a journey across Singapore’s literary landscape. An initiative by the National Arts Council, in partnership with SMRT Trains and Stellar Ace, and produced by Sing Lit Station, a local literary charity, this campaign displays excerpts of iconic Singapore poetry throughout SMRT’s train network, bringing Sing Lit to the daily commute.
From 5 November 2026 to 3 November 2027, look out for poems in English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South, and Circle Lines. The Chinese, Malay, and Tamil poems are available in both the original languages and English. This circuit of poetry also includes displays in train stations (till May 2027) and at platforms (till Dec 2026).
Join these Poems on the MRT competitions to win exclusive prizes!
Hidden in Train Site (5 Nov - 2 Dec 2026)
Poetry is all around us: look closely enough, and you might just find poetry hidden in plain sight. Across November, spot the hidden poems on the platform screen doors in MacPherson and Caldecott Circle Line stations to win attractive prizes, including Singapore Writers Festival passes and Sing Lit Book Bundles with exclusive POTM souvenirs! This competition is inspired by the theme of this year’s Singapore Writers Festival — Hidden in Plain Sight.
Take part here!
Check out the competition Terms & Conditions and FAQS here.
Through Your Eyes: Photo/Video Competition (1 Jan - 31 Mar 2027)
Feeling inspired by the local poems on your commute? We want to see them through your unique creative perspective. From January 2027, create a visual response to the poems you’ve spotted across the train network – anything from a photograph, comic, or meme to a reading, video essay or performance reel – and stand a chance to win cash prizes and Kobo eReaders! Stay tuned for more details.
Read The Poems:
-
A-F
A Middle-Aged Woman Dissuades a Potential Lover by Leong Liew Geok
Afterword by Lee Jing Jing
All Our Clocks by Amanda Chong
All the Sounds of Mynahs by Tse Hao Guang
Apartment 10C by Samuel Caleb Wee
Apples by Gilbert Koh
*new* ars poetica by Ang Shuang
Aubade by Cyril Wong
Autobiography by Alfian Sa'at
Back Again by Stephanie Chan
Becoming an HDB Flat by Ann Ang
blue by Madeleine Lee
Continental Drift by Nabilah Said
Corridor by Theophilus Kwek
Corridor, Bukit Merah by Koh Buck Song
*new* DAYS LIKE A PROLONGED PARACHUTE AFTER A SPACE FLIGHT by Jason Wee
Dear Bukit Batok by Rodrigo Dela Peña Jr.
*new* Elegy by Cheng Him
flame of the forest by Aaron Lee
First Petition by Divya Victor
Forehead by Cheryl Julia Lee
From A to Z, an Insomniac Zoetrope Spins through Changi Airport Terminal 3 from Midnight to Dawn by Yeow Kai Chai
*new* Future by Rosaly Puthucheary
G-L
Halley's Comet by Ally Chua
homecoming by Alvin Pang
How to Fly the Singapore Flag by Daren Shiau
I Watch the Stars Go Out by Felix Cheong
In Good Faith by Wong May
In the Time It Takes by Lawrence Ypil
In This City by MR Mizan
Ideology by Samuel Lee
Kelong by Boey Kim Cheng
*new* Ketawa by Charlene Shepherdson
kirato's koi by Eddie Tay
Lines from Batu Ferringhi by Goh Poh Seng
M-R
Meeting Your Mother, Meeting You by David Wong Hsien Min
*new* Metta by Esther Vincent Xueming
Missing Bull Haiku by Gwee Li Sui
Moorings by Paul Tan
my mother thinks i dream in bengali by Wahid Al Mamun
Night by Anne Lee Tzu Pheng
Orchid (noun, 1) by Mok Zining
*new* Poem without a Title by Chrystal Ho
Plastic Ghosts #5 by Marc Nair
Poem for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ending in a Beginning by Pooja Nansi
Renovation by Edwin Thumboo
Roti Chatter by Ng Yi-Sheng
S-Z
*new* seascape by Ho Poh Fun
Seeing Snow for the First Time by Yong Shu Hoong
*new* Seletar Reservoir by Zhang Ruihe
Simple Days (Remembering Mother in Portugal, June 2015), Day 12 by Heng Siok Tian
Since You Told Me by Toh Hsien Min
Singapore Night Song by Simon Tay
Singapore River on Exhibit by Eric Tinsay Valles
sunday morning by Jonathan Chan
*new* Tasting Notes by Natalie Wang
tea by Angeline Yap
The horizon bends by Izyanti Asa'ari
The Lover as Figured in Impressionist Terms by Jollin Tan
*new* The Moon’s Limbo by Pamela Seong Koon
The Search by Robert Yeo
The Tai-chi Man by Ong Teong Hean
Three Faces of Night by Wang Gungwu
Towering by Fiona Sze-Lorrain
*new* Unidentifiable Object by ArunDitha
Upsizing by Daryl Lim Wei Jie
Visitor by Jerrold Yam
Walk to Work by Aaron Maniam
White Fire by Christine Chia
*new* who is memory? by Tricia Tan
追 (Pursuit) by Loh Guan Liang
曲/取 by Crispin Rodrigues -
Sebutir Pasir
A Grain Of Sand
by Dr Hadijah Rahmat
Membelah Budi
A Severed Mind
by Abdul Ghani Hamid
*new*
Seekor Labah-labah Dan Seorang Penyair Di Perpustakaan
A Spider and a Poet in the Library
by Hartinah Ahmad
*new*
Selepas
After
by Hamed Ismail
*new*
Seloka Pujangga Cinta
Ballad of the Love Poet
by Samsudin Said
Lebih Baik Sendiri
Better Alone
by Sofia Nin
*new*
Kekwa
Chrysanthemum
by Ahmad Syarif
*new*
Tanah Liat Di Tangan Tukang Tembikar
Clay in the Potter’s Hands
by Noridah Kamari
Bunga Lalang
Lalang Flower
by Isa Kamari
Warkah Untuk Seorang Isteri (Buat Su)
Letter To My Wife (For Su)
by Yatiman Yusof
Cinta adalah Makrifat
Love is a Blessing
by Djamal Tukimin
Bicaraku Dengan Sang Rumput
My Conversation With The Grass
by Wan Jumaiah bte Mohd Jubri
Rayuan Asmara
Pleas of Romance
by Muhammad Ariff Ahmad (MAS)
Pelangi
Rainbow
by Mohamed Latiff Mohamed
Melayah Tabah Ke Mercu Jaya
Sailing Steadfastly to the Pinnacle of Success
by Nordita Taib
*new*
Kreok-kreok
Squeaks
by Herman Rothman
Selat Tebrau
Tebrau Straits
by Juffri Supa’at
*new*
Terima Kasih
Thank You
by Muhammad Khairool Haque
*new*
Dialog Terakhir Wayang Pak Dalang
The Last Dialogue of the Shadow Puppetmaster
by H.B. Johar
Ini Nasi Yang Ku Suap
This Rice I Eat
by Masuri S.N
Menuju Pantai Bahagia
Towards the Shore of Happiness
by Suratman Markasan
*new*
Kereta Api Kehidupan
Train of Life
by Peter Augustine Goh
Tuk, Tuk, Tuk
by Farihan Bahron*new*
Tanah Air Perantau
Wanderer’s Homeland
by Aisyah Lyana
*new*
Kita Pencari Masa
We, The Seekers of Time
by Norulashikin Jamain -
温柔的城市
A Gentle City
by 语凡 (Yu Fan)
书香
Book Fragrance
by 邹璐 (Zou Lu)
云
Clouds
by 刘瑞金 (Henry Low Swee Kim)
醉
Drunk
by 黃文傑 (Wang Mun Kiat)
对角戏
Duologue
by 贺尔 (He Er)
*new*
邂逅
Encounter
by 希尼尔 (Xi Ni Er)
*new*
折叠的时光(下)
Excerpt from “Layers of Time” (Part II)
by 周德成 (Zhou Decheng)*new*
藏身——與妻在希臘
In Hiding - with my wife in Greece
by 吴耀宗 (Gabriel Wu)*new*
风筝
Kite
by 林方 (Lin Fang)
*new*
生活
Life
by 黄广青 (Enoch Ng Kwan Cheng)
*new*
寂寞三行
Lines of Solitude
by 木子（李茀民）Mu Zi (Lee Hock Ming)
青木恋人
Lover of Verdant Trees
by 欧筱佩 (Aw Seow Pooi)
*new*
铁轨的记忆
Memory of Railway Tracks
by 郭永秀 (Quek Yong Siu)
莫兰迪色系
Morandi Hues
by 伍政玮 (Ng Zhengwei)
*new*
暖男
mr nice guy
by 黄凯德 (Wong Koi Tet)
夜调
Nocturne
by 孤星子 (Ang Lai Sheng)
*new*
说灵感
On Inspiration
by 周粲 (Zhou Can)
*new*
关于写情诗这件事
On Writing Love Poems
by 沈斯涵 Shen Sihan*new*
回到南洋
Return to the Nanyang
by 陈志锐 (Tan Chee Lay)
安静不因我们离去更安静
Silence that is no more silent
by 潘正镭 (Pan Cheng Lui)
慢
Slowly
by 梁文福 (Dr Liang Wern Fook)
彩窗
Stained Glass Window
by 林得楠 (Denon Lim Denan)
石头
Stone
by 英培安 (Yeng Pway Ngon)
*new*
一个人的山海经
The Book of Mountains and Seas
by 陈晞哲 (Tan Xi Zhe)*new*
真相 之一
The Truth - Part 1
by 蔡深江 (Chua Chim Kang)
走进图书馆的树：前身是树，今生是书本
The Tree at the Library Entrance
by 王润华 (Prof Wong Yoon Wah)
二老走植物园
Two Elders Stroll in the Botanic Gardens
by 林高 (Lin Gao)
伞内·伞外
Within/ Without
by 淡莹 (Dan Ying) -
அழகு
Beauty
by மு.அ.மசூது (A.R. Mashuthoo)
*new*
பட்டாம்பூச்சி
Butterfly
by ஹரிணி V. (Harini V)*new*
மேகம்
Cloud
by பனசை நடராஜன் (Panasai Natarajan)*new*
விண் மீன்கள்
Dazzling Stars
by பாத்தேறல் இளமாறன் (Patheraal Illamaran)
*new*
கனவு
Dream
by ந.வீ.சத்தியமூர்த்தி (N.V.Sathiyamoorthy)
*new*
சிறகு
Feather
by நூர்ஜஹான் சுலைமான் (Noorjehan Sulaiman)
*new*
பூக்களை நீரில் ஆழ்த்துதல்
Floating Flowers Downstream
by நிலாகண்ணன் (Nilakannan)
பாடம்
Lesson
by லதா (Latha)
முதுமையின் அரவணைப்பில்
Life's Journey
by சுலோசனா கார்த்திகேசு (Sulosana Karthigasu)
பார்வை
Look
by ஷிவ்ராம் கோபிநாத் (Shivram Gopinath)
*new*
காதல்
Love
by யூசூப் ரஜித் ராவுத்தர் (Yousuf Rowther Rajid)*new*
பல்லூழிக் காலப் பெரும் பூ
Magnificent Ancient Flower
by இன்பா (Inbha)
ஞாபகத் தடங்கள்
Memory Lanes
by எம். சேகர் (M. Segar)
சன்னலில் வெளியே அமர்ந்திருந்த கவிதை
Poem Outside My Window
by சித்துராஜ் பொன்ராஜ் (Sithuraj Ponraj)
*new*
திரைச்சீலையும் மரக்கிளையும்
The Curtain and The Tree Branch
by கோ.இளங்கோவன் (G. Elangovan)*new*
இருப்பின் மேன்மை
The Greatness of Presence
by தா. மதிக்குமார் (Mathikumar Thayumanavan)*new*
தூரத்து ஆள்
The Man in the Distance
by பிச்சினிக்காடு இளங்கோ (Marimuthu Arumugam Elango)
நரை வெளிச்சம்
Twilight
by க.து.மு. இக்பால் (KTM Iqbal)
*new*
தலைப்பில்லா
Untitled
by அ.கி.வரதராசன் (A.K. Varadharajan)
*new*
தலைப்பில்லா
Untitled
by ராஜூ ரமேஷ் (Raju Ramesh)
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firstfruits publications
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