This project is a portfolio of 15 ekphrastic poems accompanied with images that explores the voices of Hong Kong muffled in aphasia, experiencing the migration wave and turmoil in the past years. Through the lens of someone who is leaving the city, the collection weaves through the cityscape of skyscrapers and harbours, drinks of poached egg in hot water, mouthfuls of Tong Cung Beng, memories with people who will remain and imagined futures that occupy one’s mind. It follows the persona recording fragments of her past and present with and in Hong Kong before leaving the city in the last poem, knowing that they would be the pieces she will bring along with her, sustaining her wherever she goes. The collection is also inspired by various Hong Kong writers and their works, especially Madeleine Slavick’s 2012 book of prose and photography Fifty Stories Fifty Images where Hong Kong is recollected through microscopic stories of photos and words. Drawn from the different lives around the city and their stories but also my recollected memories and interactions with Hong Kong, the portfolio is a love letter to this city I call home, both the place and the people, regardless of whether they have stayed or left.

It has been an amazing experience to create I Just Want to Keep the Goldfish with Me starting from zero, which is also my first ever poetry collection. I have always loved writing, but I was in a slump with writing during my first year in university. The creative writing courses allowed me to regain my courage and passion to write again and also equipped me with the knowledge of moving within emotional spaces and imageries in poetry that help me in crafting my work through a more critical perspective.

The idea of an ekphrastic poetry collection as the capstone to conclude my undergraduate studies was both enticing and daunting. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Collier Nogues for her utmost encouragement and guidance throughout the magical creative process of this poetry collection. All of this would not be possible without her support and feedback.