A visual representation of "City" by Louise Ho
KO Fay Fei
Man Kwan QualiEd College
I am inspired by ‘City’ written by Louise Ho. In the centre of the artwork, a street sleeper, who is glowing in the dark, is sitting alone on a footbridge.
It is late at night and the weather is getting colder and colder.
People are rushing home, neglecting the lonely street sleeper who just has few items to keep him warm.
Different shades of blue colours are used to draw the background to express the gloomy mood.
The use of a glowing sharp colour for the street sleeper makes him stand out in the picture.
It shows a contrast between the hurrying passers-by and the static street sleeper.
It seems that he is marginalised in society.
The pedestrians are painted in grey to signify the absence of sympathy in them.
We should pay more attention to the ones in need and give them a helping hand.
If there is more care and sympathy for the needy, they will be able to enjoy the vibe of the city.
City
No fingers claw at the bronze gauze
Of a Hong Kong December dusk,
Only a maze of criss-crossing feet
That enmeshes the city
In a merciless grid.
Between many lanes
Of traffic, the street-sleeper
Carves out his island home.
Or under the thundering fly-over,
Another makes his own peace of mind.
Under the staircase,
By the public lavatory,
A man entirely unto himself
Lifts his hand
And opens his palm.
His digits
Do not rend the air,
They merely touch
As pain does, effortlessly.
Louise Ho
“City” was published in Incense Tree: Collected Poems of Louise Ho by Louise Ho, p.45. Copyrights © 2009 by Hong Kong University Press.