This is what my pa told me –
You are like these slippers
You are a guest
You think this is your country
But it is not your home
You are just a guest
Don’t commit a crime
They might deport you
Don’t make mistakes
They might jail you
But pa –
I will learn their language
I will be a cheerleader
I will dye my hair
I will tan my skin
No girl –
You are like these slippers
You are a guest
You think you love this country
But it may not love you back
It is not your home
You will get a good job
To pay high income taxes
To repay this country
To be a doctor or lawyer
But pa –
I love words not numbers
I’ll make people laugh
I am a salmon smolting
I am a whale sleeping
No girl –
You must sound important
So they never laugh at you
They laugh at me all they like
I have last laugh when you are the best
Why you I think named you “Ivy” Lee?
Ivy League!
You didn’t have to swim to get here
You didn’t have to stay in cages
You weren’t separated from us
Be grateful!
But pa –
No girl –
You must be strong
Here is dictionary
Here is newspaper
Everything you need
Make me proud
Yes pa, I promise
Photo Credit: koen_jacobs Flickr via Compfight cc
Amy Lee
Amy Lee is a lawyer, emerging writer and poet based in Seattle. Her work was published in Thrive Global, HR.Com, The F-Word, Cicerone and FemAsia. She holds a BA/LLB from the University of Queensland and LLM from the Melbourne University. She has worked in-house for major corporations on LNG projects and now lives in Seattle where she volunteers as a career coach for Hopelink and at the Seattle Repertory Theatre Shop.
