Satori Blues: A Poem

by Cyril Wong

Satori Blues is an extended, Zen-inspired response to writings by teachers of Buddhism & post-Buddhist philosophies. Composed as a stream of thought—at times epigrammatic, philosophical, fragmented, even exclamatory—the poem becomes a concerted movement within a space of meditation, as well as a sustained, psychological record of a yearning towards spiritual truth & clarity.

Genres: Poetry

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Cyril Wong is a two-time Singapore Literature Prize-winning poet and the recipient of the Singapore National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award for Literature. His books include poetry collections Tilting Our Plates to Catch the Light (2007) and The Lover’s Inventory (2015), novels The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza (2013) and This Side of Heaven (2020), and fiction collection Ten Things My Father Never Taught Me (2014). He completed his doctoral degree in English Literature at the National University of Singapore in 2012. His works have been featured in the Norton anthology, Language for a New Century, in Chinese Erotic Poems by Everyman’s Library, and in magazines and journals around the world. His writings have been translated into Turkish, German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Japanese.

Reviews

[Andrew H · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing meditative long-poem that brings the spiritual element of Cyril Wong's work into the foreground. The cover shows two Buddhist mudras and these intimate the duality within the poem. Reading them as poetic symbols, one suggests holding, a pin point accuracy, whilst the other suggests a bluntness, a waiting to open. There is a sense of teaching within the cover image and within the poem-- a tone that moves through the lines. But this is a poem without didacticism, more of a mind in flow, feeling words, hearing sounds: auditory imagery is as vital as visual. Satori Blues brings the poet's many musical metaphors from previous collections into a new relationship with the reader: this is music for the human voice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKMe7...

The poem can be read here:
https://satoriblues.wordpress.com/201...

[mm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stream of consciousness poem from one of my favourite Singapore writers.
Lines like the following reflect the meditation:

A mirror is not a home but pale captivity.
For freedom to move, loosen the ropes
of language.
. . .
Disregarding the light in a flickering
leaf; absorbing instead the dark
soul of a tree after a storm's abuse.
. . .
Happiness without. Nothing presents
nothing from passing through.
Nothing after all, to try; nothing,
After all, to do. Listen to what I've said.
If the truth agitates, perfect! If not,
sing along--this number is for you.

[Beatrixe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely stream of consciousness poem by one of my favourite singapore poets!!! I've only been introduced to local Singaporean poetry recently and I must say some are really amazing! Like this little meditative gem of a poem. :')

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wong steps out of his usual bounds and presents a river of thought, contradictions and dialectic, tetralemmas plucked out from the Ganges. Accessible without sacrificing poesy nor complexity, Wong showcases his brilliance.

[Review 1 - 05/05/17.]

[Mirvan. Ereon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got my own copy from my beloved friend Cyril Wong himself. =P

Reading it now and I will be reviewing it soon!

[Melvin Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply spiritual but not overly philosophical, this book is a highly experimental work. A fresh departure from usual poetry collections. For starter, it is one long Zen-inspired poem. It might not be written in Cyril’s trademark confessional style, but the stream of thought flows freely. Heartening to see a Singapore publisher pushing the creative envelope.

[tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every thought a reflex of memory.
*
Love, but attention. Attention to love. Love then attention. Attention is love.
*
Any desire to blow out desire is also desire.
*
What I cannot retrieve mocks me from behind time’s two-way mirror.

[Lauren]

Favorite quote: “Forgive the past for repeating for it knows not what it does.”

The rest went over my head although there were some parts that gave me pause to think over.

[Nurani K · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. i found it difficult to read and had to spend a lot of time wracking my brain trying to figure this out but well-written nonetheless

[Carman Chew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely missed the subtext that this entire book was a single poem, but eventually caught on midway. Would be good to research more on the names dropped in this book. Overall, inspired by zen, but the book reflects nothing but a struggle to reach it.