Countdown By Grace Chua ^hot^ Jun 2026

"Countdown" was published in the July 2003 issue of QLRS, a journal that has been an important platform for new writing from Singapore and the region. The poem appears alongside works by a diverse group of poets, including Amjad Nasser, Judith Huang, and Jeremy Lim Mun Loong, indicating the rich variety of the Singaporean literary scene at the turn of the millennium.

Five! Four!

In the landscape of Singaporean literature, particularly within its vibrant poetic scene, certain works stand out for their ability to capture profound emotion within a concise framework. One such piece is , a poem featured in the Quarterly Literary Review Singapore (QLRS) Vol. 2 No. 4 (July 2003) .

: Analyze how the mother's mind "constantly revolves" around her children's needs, such as outgrowing shoes and unfinished chores, even when she is physically exhausted. countdown by grace chua

"Countdown" is a short, evocative poem that captures a moment of intense anticipation or anxiety. Published in QLRS, a prestigious literary journal, the poem showcases Chua's ability to condense complex human emotions—such as fear, hope, or patience—into a few poignant lines.

The washing machine groans. Pipes swish, the dryer roars. She wishes she were in a vacuum, not vacuuming or doing dishes. She longs to be in the dark, and young, with star- fields leaping light-years beyond time's gravity.

Critics have noted that “Countdown” resists sentimentality. Grace Chua, who has a background in science (she studied molecular biology and writing), often blends precise scientific observation with lyrical emotion. In this poem, she refuses to tell the reader how to feel. Instead, she presents the machinery of dying—both the hospital’s and the mind’s—and lets the silence do the work. "Countdown" was published in the July 2003 issue

Grace Chua is an award-winning Singaporean journalist and poet. She is well-known for her ability to find depth in everyday science and environmental themes, often applying a precise, observational eye to her poetry, as seen in her first collection, The Stamp Collector's Wife Countdown | QLRS Vol. 2 No. 4 Jul 2003 Jul 4, 2546 BE —

out of the window at the night, and counts down hours till the end, craning her neck, till all the clocks break free. Quarterly Literary Review Singapore Countdown | QLRS Vol. 2 No. 4 Jul 2003

: Her "chrometop kitchentop" serves as her control panel, where she manages "unfinished things" like kids outgrowing shoes and yesterday's shopping. Cosmic Exhaustion Throughout the work

Chua's use of symbolism and imagery is a key element of "Countdown," adding depth, complexity, and emotional resonance to the poem. Throughout the work, she employs a range of symbols and images that draw on the natural world, mythology, and personal experience.

Now I count backwards.