grace

… filling in the negative space with positively everything

i am …

over dimsum:

the waitress comes up and says, “blahblahblah.”

“sorry,” i reply, ” i don’t understand. i’m not chinese.”

“OH!” she laughs. “i thought you’re chinese–you look chinese.”

i smile and point out what i want.

over pho:

the waiter comes up and says, “blahblahblah.”

“sorry,” i reply, “i don’t understand. i’m not vietnamese.”

“OH!” he laughs. “i thought you’re vietnamese–you look vietnamese.”

i smile and point out what i want.

over taquitos:

the waiter brings the check, and i pay,

and he says, “rodriguez?! you don’t look like rodriguez. are you married?”

i smile and sign the bill.

funny — it takes a trip to my parents’ country

over halo halo

pointing out what i want to a street vendor

to look like what i really am:

an American.

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What Are You?

what are you?

they ask me.

homo sapiens,

i answer.

haha, they reply,

no, really, what are you?

good question.

what am i?

i ask myself.

an idiot,

i answer.

haha, i reply,

no, really, what am i?

i am a fashion trend

a fetish

a rug

a hood ornament

a housekeeper

a nerd

a laundry woman

a virtuoso pianist.

i am an exotic 800-number in-the-privacy-of-your-own-home massage girl;

and i’m good at math, so i can do your taxes, too.

i am a foreigner in my own country

a chink a Jap a gook a charlie

i am a tourist attraction.

i am dimsum pancit pho and kimchee

served over a bed of rice

with tea.

i am sashimi.

i am

whatever you want me to be

asshole

i hope that answers your question for you.

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everything

you are

the sky

purified by astringent clouds

a quill

scribbling caramelized cryptics

a book

pressed by breastplate publishing

a garden

birthing tulip fruit & nightcrawlers

you are

the scent

of hope

and

the taste

of rainy days in bed.

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