yang xu

my name sings / of a hundred harvests / of terraces on a hillside / of rivers spawning fish / enough to feed a village

we curl under covers / your mouth, watering

i am not afraid of the dark / only of mouths yet to be filled

i’ve known hunger / since i was an orphan / sent into the arms / of a stranger / released into the water / taught to hold my breath

as if air in the lungs / could save you / from sinking / from letting in weight / you cannot hold

these bones have not forgotten / the feeling of floating / not belonging anywhere

i am always on the tip / of your tongue / a forgotten language / a sound so guttural it crashes / like ocean

say my name / wrap your tongue / around each letter / and i am girl wading through paddies of rice / unkempt

girl named after / land she has never walked / but still runs toward

an ocean emptying itself / until it has nothing left / to give

By Amy Pollard

Biography:

Amy Pollard is a poet and writer based in Boston. Her work has been featured in an art & storytelling exhibit by Unbound Visual Arts. She is a Chinese American adoptee. You can follow her on Instagram @aaxprn and Twitter @amyannexu.