yakult

yakult

eyes drooping, 

I press my cheek 

against the 

smudged car window,

the chatter of āyí's ¹

a lullaby

to sleepy ears.

percussion for 

my melody, 

rain drums the

half-baked streets, 

washing away 

our trek to

the kingdom--

middle-of-nowhere,

left behind:

a world of

wilted greens strewn 

over cracked tiles, 

white at birth 

but gritty now--

the dirt 

beneath our fingernails.

durian candies, 

lychee jellies, 

egg tarts like 

melted yellow suns

tease my 

twitching rabbit's nose;

how I want to paint my skin

in all the flavors, 

smear the oils of 

crispy duck skin

and fèng zhuǎ ²

on my mouth, 

as proudly as mother

wears her red lipstick.

but for now 

we drive on the I-95, 

and in plastic bags 

our off-brand home 

awaits, 

steaming, 

for guilty teeth

to indulge. 

_______________________________

¹Aunties (in this context, refers to middle-aged women)

² Chicken feet, a common dim sum dish