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Photography, poetry, and musings by Emily Ung.

Posts in Poetry
#48 – Flower Moon

Nikon F90 + 28-70mm | Fujicolor C200 | @emilyyyung

Falling for you
Is like being mesmerised
By the flame of a burning candle
A light so bright
I can’t take my eyes off you
Like a moth to a flame
I am oxygen
And you draw me closer and closer
Again and again
An attraction so blinding
So passionate
So enticing
My hands hover over the fire until
I reach out to touch you
Even though I know
It will backfire
And it will burn
My arms are outstretched again
Attempting to hold on to you
An intangible, flickering flame
And on this wintry Spring night
You shine brighter
Than the majestic flower moon
And the Sun can’t see
The miracle she’s created
By bringing you to me 

with love, emily

#46 – I Know You Know

Nikon F90 + 28-70mm | Fujicolour C200 | @emilyyyung

Hi, hello.

I’m currently in my usual space, trying to finish my final summer school assessment so that I can go to my favourite market tomorrow – but obviously failing desperately because now I’m here.

My heart is bursting with excitement knowing that after this last stretch, I’ll have a bit more time to work on other things + watch shows and movies + spend time with friends. Very, very excited.

But before I get there, I am bursting at the seams with thoughts – many, many thoughts. Thoughts that have consumed me for a while now; thoughts that I need to voice out. Thoughts that have riddled me with confusion; thoughts that I hope I can work through by writing poems.

This is here out of fear of being too out there, but still feeling compelled to put this out into the universe, somehow - a constant internal conflict if you ask me. I’ve posted a cropped version of this image over on Instagram with a relevant little caption if you’d like to take a peek. I also haven’t shared any poems here in a long while, so I hope you like this one x

I know you know

I wonder if you could feel my heart racing beneath the blanket
If you could feel my hands fumbling for proximity
If you could sense my anxious heart in limbo
If you could somehow tell that all I wanted to do
Was to be close to you
Even closer than we were last night
I wonder if you’d let me
I wonder if I could try

With love, Emily

#45 – Grace

Nikon F90 + 28-70mm | Kodak Portra 400

 

A familiar flutter
A wayward dance
A wilting rose
Does so with elegance

 

Hello. Hi!

I have neglected this little space on the interweb for a long while – almost 6 months to be (kind of) exact. So, I’ve decided to pop in to say hi. Hello! I hope you’re well, wherever you are on our beautiful Earth.

I’ve been alright, although, that’s like my default answer when anyone asks me how I am. It’s a vague kind of answer, but it’s mostly the truth. Time has, as always, flown past in a blur. There are days where I feel amazing, and days where everything seems to get on my nerves, so I guess “alright” is a pretty good average. Wouldn’t you agree?

When I was last here, I talked about my first solo exhibition Bloom, and I have finally gotten around to editing and uploading the photographs from opening night! (Only 6 months late, but it’s ok.)

Here are a few snippets:

You can click here to take a gander at the full album on Facebook! All images were kindly taken by my friend Brendan Manning.

I will also be putting up the full Bloom collection in the near future, along with an updated portfolio of work + a little revamp to the site! I’ve been saying that for ages now, but I will definitely get to that during my summer break! (I now have this in writing to hold me accountable.)

In other news, I am going to Brisbane next month! I am so incredibly excited to take a much-needed breather and go somewhere slightly foreign to unwind. Brisbane was the destination of choice because of Yayoi Kusama’s Life is the Heart of a Rainbow exhibition currently showing at QAGOMA. I first heard of the exhibition while it was in Singapore earlier this year, and I knew that if I had the chance to see it, I had to grab it. And the moment I laid eyes on the exhibition poster, it was a rather spontaneous decision, but I had to go! My tickets and accommodation are booked, so if you have any recommendations on what/where to eat, things to do and places to see, please leave me a comment on this post, email me or send me a direct message via Instagram!

I plan to take some time off the socials (do a short social media detox) while being away in Brisbane – very much like what I did when I went to Melbourne 2 years ago. Going about daily life, it’s hard to realise the sheer amount of time and energy that is spent online – it’s pretty scary to think about. I’m looking forward to unplugging; to wandering aimlessly with my camera in hand; to take life even slower than I usually do; to journal and read and write; to immerse myself in art; to relax, recharge and refuel; to plan personal projects; to spend some quality me time; and to hopefully dig deep for an intrinsic motivation that I desperately need to drive change in myself.  

But for the moment, it’s come to the pointy end of the semester and I have a mountain of projects to complete in the next 2 weeks (wish me luck!).

Before I go, I just wanted to leave you with a few videos that I’ve recently discovered (click here and here).
Cheyenne is just so honest + genuine + sincere with her presence online, and I’ve fallen in love with her work, her words and her sweet soul. The first video is a reading of her poem paired with video and text and it is so beautiful – I had it on repeat for a little while because it resonated with me so much. It made my heart ache a little, and made me feel tension yet at ease. The second video is just her sitting in front of the camera and talking through her thoughts – it’s a little lengthier but I’m sure that when you watch it, it’ll resonate with you, and she dishes some really wonderful nuggets of wisdom and encouragement in the second half of the video. If you need a little encouragement or pick-me-up, I hope these videos might help in some way as they have for me!

That’s all from me, for now.
You are a wonderful something – thank you for reading x

With love, Emily.

#38 – Lost.

Canon EOS 500N | Fujifilm Superia 400

Lost

As the day loses light

An hour loses its minutes

A storm loses its rain

And a fire loses flame

 

Trees lose their leaves

The snow will eventually recede

Dawn shall turn to dusk

And it will all come to pass

 

But the optimist loses hope

The heartbroken loses sleep

Her heart loses its beat

She has plunged way too deep

 

She grips on to a mast

But the faithful fails to trust

It is all just too much

 

The lover loses love

And she would like to ask

When will all this pass?

  With love, Emily.