A nation bereft
At one man’s passing
A spontaneous outpouring of grief
Tears flowed uncontrollably
Tributes flew in
Stories of this shrewd politician
and statesman’s life’s work
That is Singapore, unfolded
The young never knew
Until now
“Merdeka” now resonates more
Snaking queues outside Parliament House
To pay their last respects
But the people didn’t mind the wait
It was the least they could do, they said
What’s 10 hours compared to 50 years?
Thousands lined the 15.4km route of the cortege
Bidding their final goodbyes
Waving the national flag
Shouting “Lee Kuan Yew”
Weeping in the rain
The skies had opened too
As if the gods above were just as bereft
as the mortals below
In his death, Singaporeans finally knew
What it meant to be a nation

Majulah Singapura.