A certain way (and other two poems)
As an immigrant,
I am expected to behave in a way
a certain way.
Colour the walls with turmeric,
fill my soul with lament
for the land whose shores I have left
to become richer economically
poorer emotionally.
Fold oil into long black hair,
dream the stars of the eastern skies,
in this land, the land I call my own,
but never to be my own.
Wrapped in sarees, sapphire blue, sindoor red,
meant to be nostalgic about the
monsoon spray dazzling my eyes
calming my burning skin.
Instead, my mind
soothed by the nourishing cool green
of the land I live in,
energised by the glowing orange sun
of the land I come from,
decorates ice cubes with spice.
With silver anklets, red stilettoes,
the shortest, blackest dress,
I sip prosecco, spear olives expertly,
pile plates with rice and chicken curry
while in the garden
lavender, jasmine, clematis, and marigold,
spread their roots, dance their petals
into the pale grey wet skies
and the searing sunshine.
Uproot, grow, take root
parallel truths, a little of this,
a little of that.
For an immigrant,
there is no certain way to be.
In Chinese:
特定的方式(外二首)
作为一个移民人
我希望举止得体
用些特定的方式
用姜黄涂染皮囊
用哀歌填满灵魂
为了离别的大陆
在经济上更富裕
情感却更加贫瘠
发油抹进黑发里
想着东方的星空
在这片谓之大地
虽然并非我所有
裹挟着宝石蓝红
这也就是乡愁吧
印度洋的季风啊
令我眼花缭乱啊
抚平灼热的皮肤
我的心恰恰相反
需要绿色的滋养
在居住的大陆上
被橙色太阳照亮
我所来自的土地
用香料点缀冰块
银脚镯红高跟鞋
着超短超青衣裳
嘬一口普洛赛克
饮食鲜嫩的橄榄
盘盘咖喱鸡肉饭
花园里的薰衣草
茉莉女萎万寿菊
枝蔓交错舞蹈着
向着灰潮的天空
向着灼热的阳光
拔节生长也生根
一样的真理一样
一点一点都一样
对于移民们来说
没有特定的方式