Structure
Pink Boy and friends follow,
releasing shouts of
Boo-Da, Boo-Da
as I put one leg
in front of the other
faster
faster
but not fast enough
Repetition
Pouches of pan-fried shredded coconut
Tamarind paste on banana leaf
Steamed corn on the cob
Rounds of fried dough
Sensory Imagery that appeals to the sense of TASTE
Brother Quang says,
How can we scramble away
like rats,
without honor, without dignity,
when everyone must help
rebuild the country?
Simile
But last night I pouted
when Mother insisted
one of my brothers
must rise first
this morning
to bless our house
because only male feet
can bring luck.
In society there is gender inequality, and society privileges boys over girls.
It’s time to tell Mother
why misery
keeps pouncing on me.
School!
I wake up with
dragonflies
zipping through
my gut.
Line Break
She strokes my arm.
I chant,
wanting the gentle strokes
to continue forever.
Tactile Imagery that appeals to our sense of touch
Bodies cram
every centimeter
below deck,
then every centimeter
on deck.
Hyperbole
MiSSS SScott
points to the numbers
along the wall.
I count up to twenty.
The class claps
on its own.
I’m furious,
unable to explain
I already learned
fractions
Lack of language does not mean lack of knowledge.
Mother runs in after work,
hands clenched into white balls,
words chopped into grunts,
face of ash.
We stare at her left hand.
The amethyst stone is gone!
Symbol
Water, water, water
everywhere
making me think
land is just something
I once knew
Repetition
Maybe soldiers will no longer
patrol our neighborhood,
maybe I can jump rope
after dark,
maybe the whistles
that tell Mother
to push us under the bed
will stop screeching.
Auditory Imagery appealing to our sense of hearing
I have no choice
but to run.
I turn right where purple flowers
curve like baby moons
over butterfly bushes.
Simile
Someone called me Ching Chong.
Is that good?
Didn’t sound good.
Then he tripped me,
so I flew up andalmost scissor-kicked him
in the face.
You missed?
I wanted him to stop,
not hurt him.
I didn’t even like
seeing him scared.
Hurting someone else doesn't heal your own pain.
Always an exception.
Do not add an s
to certain nouns.
One deer,
two deer.
Why no s for two deer,
but an s for two monkeys?
Irony
Mother strokes my head.
Chant, my child,
Breathe in, peaceful mind.
Breathe out, peaceful smile.
Parallel Structure
Brother Khôi stinks;
we can’t ignore it.
He stews and sweats
in a jacket
he won’t take off.
Sensory imagery appealing to our sense of SMELL
a photograph of
a papaya tree
swaying broad,
fanlike leaves
in the full sun,
showing off a bundle
of fat orange piglets.
Metaphor
I think and think
then close my eyes again.
This year I hope
I truly learn
to fly-kick,
not to kick anyone
so much as
to fly.
Social acceptance is being free to be yourself.
Clang clang clang,
a spoon chimes
against a glass bowl.
Onomatopoeia
Three pouches of
dried papaya
Chewy
Sugary
Waxy
Sticky
Not the same
at all.
Parallel structure
All the while
surging from my gut:
fire
sourness
weight
anger
loneliness
confusion
embarrassment
shame.
Sensory Imagery appealing to our sense of TASTE
Boo-Da, Boo-Da
breathes into the back
of my neck.
Personification
MiSSSisss WaSShington says
if every learner waits
to speak perfectly,
no one would learn
a new language.
Being stubborn
won’t make you fluent.
Practicing will!
The more mistakes you make,
the more you’ll learn not to.
Learning requires risk-taking.
Green mats of grass
in front of every house.
Vast windows
in front of sealed curtains.
Cement lanes where
no one walks.
Irony