History is not just the past, but also the present and the future. However, it is our decisions as a collective that majorly decide how history runs its course. This poem, titled “Forgotten Ignorance,” describes how climate change should be affecting everyone equally, yet people of color are getting more hard-hit because of the racism and socioeconomic inequality in our society. As such, advocating for a clean climate is inherently linked to advocating for racial equality.
Spoken Word Poetry
From Under a Tree & the August Sun
I spent a lot of summer 2020 sitting underneath trees and trying to find the words to articulate what exactly I was feeling and not really being able to find the words. There’s usually a real feeling of restlessness that accompanies summer for me and I think it was amplified by the pandemic.
The Sides of Me
It’s as if the devil and an angel sit on her shoulders, debating whether she made the right choice with her lover. The internal battle of love’s rights and wrongs comes to life.
Butterflies
If you ever feel too scared to grow and move on, just imagine the butterfly’s transformation process. From beginning to end.
Melanin Tears
A young girl born to immigrant parents trying to fit into American society. She realizes that she is uncomfortable with herself and the nation.
Stop
A soul’s response when the world is too noisy and a heart is silenced for too long.
My Mother’s Allegiance
My Mother’s Allegiance focuses on the essential factors that encouraged my mother to flee to America, and the assimilation and racism often present in the experiences of an immigrant.
Butterfly 蝴蝶
“Butterfly 蝴蝶” is an ode to my great-grandmother, who passed away a few years ago. On occasion, the butterfly of her spirit still flies by.
palatable
“palatable” is a product of my experiences as a young black girl at a predominantly white school. Particularly, it’s my examination of the concept of palatability, and what it means to prepare yourself for consumption.
Epileptic Born
Have you ever known someone with epilepsy? Or ever wondered what happens when someone is having a seizure? Well let my words of my health introduce you to the world of being a victim of epilepsy.
We are Girls from the East
The poem speaks to our shared history as Asian-American women, emphasizing a colonial past in China and India, our liberation, and the formation of new rituals between generations all through the lens of tea.
The Side They Never See
Captured in a moment of pain, this poem was a way for me to release my emotions onto the page. I hope to show anyone who encounters this piece that they are not alone.
Lucky
In the context of mortality, the pandemic and the imminent impacts of climate change, it is beyond important to remember how objectively lucky we are to be alive. There is a certain priceless appreciation in simply existing and breathing comfortably within ourselves.
A Passenger’s Library
An exploration of ghostly subway rides during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faces
“Faces” is about the way young women view themselves in a world that presents a single standard of beauty. These lyrics push back against those barriers and question the value systems from which they originate.