Introduction (To Love's Travelogue)

Ever since I was old enough to flip a page, I have heard one
particular poem read to me often - simply titled “To May”, my
Dad penned it on the arrival of his first child. It was published in
the 1971 edition of an NUS publication, a copy of which has been
clipped in my Baby Book along with all my baby memoirs.
Twenty-some years later, in a new millennium, my son, Hao-Yuan
(Joshua) would share this same privilege of being the subject of
Kong-Kong’s poetry. “With Hao-Yuan at the Botanical Gardens”
was written when he turned 13 months old, on our visit back to
Singapore from the U.S. It was later published in the July 2003
issue of Prestige Magazine.
As I grew older, I discovered that my Dad has a unique gift of
expressing himself in poetry and prose. His poems have a flair of
sensitivity and readability, portraying simple life in poignant
perspectives. They read like a flowing story, the imagery he paints
often brings the reader to the “ahah!” of identifying exactly with
what he depicts, with a visual picture in mind. Dad’s poems are
not pretentious. They give a glimpse of his sentimental nature, and
display the pillars of his beliefs – that home is truly the anchor of
the family. He applauds the strength of the family structure, as can
be seen from his fitting tributes to my Grandfather and
Grandmother.
For me, it was a joy to edit and compile this collection, and I invite
you to take a journey into our home, our hearth, and the windows
of his soul. - May