From the east

To be from the east is

To enjoy burgers and fries, pasta and pizza, paella and tapas

And also to own smugly the familiarity with

chicken rice and fishball noodles,   dosai and  idly, kueh lapis and nasi lemak

To be from the east is

To know the uber rich in palatial bungalows, the everyday man in hdb flats and the slum dirt poor begging in the streets of India

To be from.the east is to travel far and white

To bask in the camaraderie of minorities ...
To smirk as  people praise your English because they expect it to be broken

To rock jeans and tees and also look chic in cheongsams and sarees

To have words and thoughts bubble in more than one language
To know customs and cultures that enrich your very blood

And

To watch the tides of time turn
To raise the east to tower over and
Devour
The west.