I Wanna Go Home to Chinaland
That fertile land of plains
and its golden river of histories—I wanna go home
to Chinaland
—dressed in my tribal clothing
of sashes red and green.
The music of qeej will
direct my path, the songs of
nruas will keep my pace—home to China
I will go
—dressed in my tribal clothing
of sashes red and green.
My packed lunch of
qaib ntim su, my white horse at
the tips of my fingers—back to Chinaland I am
heading
—dressed in my tribal clothing
of sashes red and green.
My khau noog upon my
feet, my paj ntaub of partings gently
by my side— home to China
I will go
—dressed in my tribal clothing
of sashes red and green.
Boats of money: silver and gold
of varies sizes, nyiaj txiag
xyab ntawv will burn to ash—back to Chinaland I am
heading
—dressed in my tribal clothing
of sashes red and green.
My journey is long,
exhausting, and tiresome—but home
I will be. My ancestral lands at last.
—yuav mus suav teb paj tawg lag.
By RED
Biography:
RED (she/her) is a Hmong artist in central Wisconsin. Currently a junior at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. RED’s poetry stems from personal experiences of having lived through various adversities and struggles (genocide and the like). Her debut work was showcased in the Wausau Poetry Walk. She has worked as a bilingual victim advocate for domestic violence/sexual assault and is now teaching an ELL class at a non-profit organization. RED’s favorite thing to do in her free time is eating fruits, with Mangosteen being her ultimate favorite.