In the spaces between these words,

first light blooms upon a mountain of shadow.

All that is hidden floats to the surface,

dying fish rising out of the ocean.

All that was unsaid dangles in the air,

a delicate mobile dancing into form.

In solitude, resilience springs forth,

a fountain which did not know itself.

In the chasms between each sound

whole civilisations are found

birthing themselves from the rubble,

peeling away bandages from forgotten fruit,

striking matches for a new fire.

A fragile world

crumbles to become

a

perfect circle.

A star shines bright in a traffic-void sky. From the silence,

a single breath

is drawn

into

the belly

of the universe,

releasing winds of revolution upon an unsuspecting earth.

• Deborah Emmanuel, 31, is a singer, performance artist and the author of three books, including memoir Rebel Rites (2016) and poetry collection Genesis (2019). During the circuit breaker, she got a puppy called Loki/Low Key.

• To read the other works in this series online, go here. To listen to them in a podcast, go here.

• For more local digital arts offerings, visit a-list.sg to appreciate #SGCultureAnywhere