JOANNE LEOW


Joanne Leow lives on Treaty Six Territory and the
homeland of the Métis. She is Assistant Professor at
the University of Saskatchewan. Her essays, fiction,
and poetry have been published in Brick, Catapult,
Evergreen Review, The Goose, Isle, The Kindling, The
Town Crier
, QLRS, and Ricepaper Magazine. She grew
up in Singapore.






Foreshores Act, Singapore

words to make land by:
reclamations, validations, facilitations,
foreshores and all submerged lands

granularity of sand includes
messuages, tenements, hereditaments
any space you might want to live in
of any tenure

ports, quays, wharves, jetties
flotsam, and other jetsam
we choose to jettison into the sea

no person shall be entitled
no action or proceeding against
no compensation for these interests

my feet that touch this seabed
that swim in this tidal river
that channel, my body
those minerals, my blood
coral, stone, clay, sand, gravel,
brine, petroleum, mineral oil,
words to include every consequence

nothing in this Act is dangerous
is derogation
of our power, our rights, our territory







Public Order (includes)

Permit me to declare
my place in this procession
in the prohibited area

to interpret what you
mean when you say
I organize

I take part in

Where is this regulated place
Where is this unrestricted area
Can I give you advance notice

I am waiting for you to
prescribe how this demonstration
by a person alone
is a demonstration carried on
by a person by himself

Are you an authorized officer
Are you a public nuisance
An obstruction in any public road

Here is my location, date, and time,
my number of persons,
my purpose

and other such particulars

permit me to declare






In Contempt
Administration of Justice (Protection) Act, 2016

Scandalise the court
you heard me
I want you to impute impropriety
to impugn integrity impartially
oh I'm sorry, did I say that you should
undermine or prejudge or prejudice, or interfere

Who is scandalised? What is a scandal?
You pose a real risk
You ought to have known
It is contempt
to publish, to transmit, to record

I repeat that nothing in this Act limits
the inherent powers of a court
Whose court?
Whose powers?

This interim
this injunction
this restraint
this compliance

Repeal all of your defences
I have heard them before



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