Saturday 29 September 2012

"Bugis Street"




Old Bugis Street was quite a sight
With acetylene lamps burning bright
Tables and chairs from end to end
Where you could meet and greet a friend

And order food from any stall
Those cooks all at your beck and call
Sharks Fin Soup, Thousand Year Eggs
And strange things done to chicken legs

Nasi Goreng, satay, saffron rice
Octopus and Tiger Prawns so nice
Tiger beer and Anchor too
San Miguel, now there's a brew



So when all the bars of Singapore
Switched off their lights and locked the door
You could still eat and drink all night
And Bugis Street set my heart alight

There were Lady-boys and Chinese Whores
And sailors in from foreign shores
Bush pilots resting from their flights
And soldiers resting from their fights

Rubber tappers from Malaya way
Tin miners down in town to stay
And spotless children playing tic-tac-toe
And winning - watch your money go

There'd be smugglers resting from the sea
And traders in from far Araby
Ginseng dealers trading fair
You'd find all sorts of commerce there

Gun runners just in from the isles
Soldiers from the rank and files
Young ladies from the Embassies
Doing just about what they please

Pirates, pimps and taxi drivers
Royal Marines and pearl divers
All the flotsam of a great sea port
Gathered there to take their sport

Family and friends would come and meet
Right there in what was Bugis Street
Bulldozed now - and it don't seem right
For Bugis Street was my delight



Words Copyright © Res JFB 29th September 2012
Photographs borrowed from the web. If they offend any copyright
contact me and I shall remove them





6 comments:

  1. Bugis Street, pronounced Boogie Street, is named after the Bugis People who inhabited Sulawesi Island. They were renowned seamen and pirates! Might still be, for all I know.
    They were so feared that English Mothers and Nannies would scare their children/charges with the threat, "Be good, or the Bugis Man will get you!" This is believed to be the origin of the BOOGY MAN. And if it isn't, well, it's still a good story to tell!
    Love to all ~ Res ♥

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  2. Thanks Zaya, I really liked Bugis Street too.

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  4. Dear sweet Res;
    It was so fun to read this one again but it was even better to hear you read it to us. Bravo!

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    1. Ahh you are a sweetheart Delaina. I've said it before and I say it again!
      Much Love xxxx

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