Beautiful Flower by Mika Doyle
I bloomed a hybrid
lily, baby-skin petals
white tinged yellow,
rooted in the West
but always leaning toward
the East.
No one bent to enjoy
my aroma,
nor plucked me up
in a handful of
pure breed blossoms,
for they claimed
a strangeness in the
bend of my stem
or the hue of my bloom
or the shape of each ornate
leaf and petal.
I nearly wilted
from the cold,
lone lily that I was,
an oddity in a
monotonous field of
snowflake posies.
I yearned for their coloring,
for the stature of their bloom,
hating this splotched, mixed
splatter of color that I was.
If I could but have
sooner seen the
warmth of sunshine
pouring down on my
sinking form while
the rest were all
plucked around me.
While they were gathered,
arranged and enjoyed,
the acceptable bouquets
on all occasions,
wilting and suffocating
among blending petals
and yearning for
some sort of roots,
I thrived.
I, outcast to the posies,
bloomed a hybrid lily,
baby-skin petals
white tinged yellow,
bowed stem straightened
and straining for the sky.
"1.29.02"
by Richie Bauer
YO!
LET ME CLEAR MY MIND HEART FLOWING
NON STOP.
FRE E LA N CIN G
SLOWSL.O.W. MIND GOES * BLANK *
TO AFRICAN DRUMS BEATING IN MY SOUL
NON STOP.
LEFT 2 RIGHT
FASTER HARDER SWAYING TO THE BEATS
INTWINED IN MY BONES
FOR GET TING THESE
BLUES/TROUBLES
R AM BL E
AND MESS WITH MY EMOTIONS (!^@*$..?)
THE ONLY THING THAT CAN CHANGE IS
CHANGE ITSELF
YO
NOTHINGS FOREVER
I NEVER MAKE PROMISES
CUZ I KNOW I WONT LAST (IM NOT IMMORTAL)
JUST FLESH AND BONE
NOTHING MORE.
HANDS TIRED EYES TIRED HEART TIRED
COME!
LET LOVE COMFORT
THESE EMPTY BLUES
FILL THE _V_ O _I _ D
THE MISSING PART OF MY HISTORY
-STOP-
!THINK!
BEFORE YOU REACT,
DONT TRIP ON ANOTHER SOUL
JUST DIG THE VIBE/ENERGY
AND
FIND THE LIGHT
WITHIN
YOUR-
SELF
1
Clueless
by Rudy Guevarra
what's it like to be me you ask?
better yet,
what are you?
so many times
I hear this phrase
from those who don't know
what I am
but for those who think
they have a clue
you assume,
that I'm what you perceive me to be
but it's not what I see
in my reflection
it's not what I see
when I look at my mother,
or my father.
I'm the product, the offspring,
the creation of two worlds
now into one beating heart,
one soul
with a desire to be seen
don't look at my goatee,
my baggy jeans,
my short combed back hair,
or even my head when I rock a pelon
my skin color can be deceiving
unless you've painted my picture for me
I'm not the brown unknown,
but a Filipino dragon flying high up in the clouds
I'm the ancient serpent of pre-Columbian cultures
living among the warriors of the inner cities
and yuppies of the suburbs
I am your illusion, your reality,
your future
Mestizo you call me,
but what the hell is that?
does that include all of me?
my Asian, Indian, African, and Spanish roots?
can you see my multidimensional character?
the complexity of my being,
my existence
which thrives on the ignorance of the masses
I am the Filipino you once despised
the one you hated,
the Mexican you abhorred, ignore,
and continue to attack
but wait
what if I was both?
could you deal with the double reality
of my presence?
what am I you say?
what's it like to be me
a multiethnic individual of the twenty-first century
a creation of two similar cultures,
yet very different histories
I am a Mexipino
Mexican by birth, by land,
by blood
Filipino in the same right
and with the utmost pride
I may not be your typical "Pinoy,"
your typical "Chicano,"
but I am one among the many
so deal with it.
I may be foreign to you,
exotic
even threatening
but so many times
I can be invisible too
my illusion masks my inner thoughts
but not what I see
and it sure as hell won't cloud my sanity
I know who I am
see my genetic, cultural, social,
and political identity
is often in question
but it's all the same to me
I'm the multiple Mestizo
if you can call me such a thing
from the shores of the Philippines
my ancestors call
sending messages from Cavite,
Pangasinan
land of my forefathers
lest I not forget
blending in the whirlwinds of the Americas
touching down unnoticed,
dancing
in Michoacán
Purépero
my grandfather says
lest I not forget
let the voices of my ancestors carry me
into the cradle of my country
America
but what am I you ask?
what's it like to be me?
if you don't already know
then I can't help you
because I already gave you
the clue
that passed you by.
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The Skin I'm In
by Frank Y Pak Agostinelli
The skin I'm in, you want to comprehend
Try to be my friend, but is it all pretend?
The skin I'm in you call a façade
I fit in nowhere not even with God
In the hot pot, I dip my tripe and lettuce
I look into your soul and find your Asian fetish.
The skin I'm in, causes much confusion
Day after day, answering questions about my fusion
The skin I'm in, causes much distraction
In the back of my mind, I question your reaction
Your interaction, ulterior motives
Your body language can't help but show this.
The skin I'm in, I'm so conflicted
This movie role hurts and I wonder who scripted it
The skin I'm in, I have to learn to deal
I was nothing before now have mass appeal
Placed on a pedestal, the new world exotic
Deified by the media neurotics.
The skin I'm in, you don't want to be in
From miles away, I can see them
The skin I'm in, they so desire
Two worlds connected to produce everlasting fire
If you really took the time to indulge what you're seeing
I'm a Mixed Asian but even better, a human being.
What Are You?
by Elizabeth Bryant
You ask what two sides comprise
Me
And after all these years of explaining all that I am to complete strangers
I am finding that my feeling of individuality is being riddled by
Anger
Some want to know out of curiosity, but
You
You inquire only with the goal of boxing me.
Boxing me
To fit into your classified schema
You study my blended fabric so you can rip the seam out.
Because you just need to know
What
I
Am
You just want to know
Where I stand
Right?
Or do you want to know
Which line you can cross?
What ethnicity is off limits and which are safe to mock?
And it all comes down to your definition of what I exceed
Your limited view
That grey area that separates me from you.
So ask me, go ahead
Which box do I check?
I know it is essential
That you know my genetic breakdown to measure my potential
Oh no perhaps it’s not that deep
Maybe it’s just that this constant question is beginning to seep
Past what you see
Past the surface
Past just my physical purpose
So next time you ask this question
What are you?
Be prepared to be pummeled with an answer that is way past due.
Simplicity
by Dawn Queli
Simplicity, gentle words touching me
Speaking in my tongue
I know, I always knew that nothing flows
From where I think too much
Simplicity, write your poem across the sand
Oceans drift away
Sometimes I'm lost, sometimes I find
The space to breathe the air
When all I want is to kiss the sky
All I want is to be alive in your arms
And I live to see the stars
Close my eyes and feel like I belong
See th light soft, see the shadows hard
When you try to understand
No camouflage on your face
I know, I always knew that love won't flow
From where it hurts too much
A single calility stands on the table in my room
Conceived, never believed the miracle
Treasure of my lie
When you try to comprehend
Let me stand-alone
Let us stand together
I just want to live the words
Simplicity, unity, everything I want
Simplicity, harmony, everything you dream
Simplicity, destiny, everything I want
Simplicity, symphony, everything you dream
Simplicity...
Gentle words touching me
Speaking in my tongue
I know, I always knew that beauty flows
When I understand
Simplicity
My Blood, My Eyes
by Samantha Anne Cox
Mommy, please tell me why I feel so bad.
Tell me why I am so sad inside.
Today the other kids told me I was a freak,
With my slanted eyes and my pale skin.
Don't I have the same beautiful almond brown eyes as you?
Is not my skin a mix of color from you and dad?
Haven't you always told me that I am somebody special?
In all that you have told me, you forgot to mention the hate and bigotry
I am seeing. Am I a bad person for looking different than Joe or Jane?
Is my life less meaningful because the substance
of two cultures flow through my blood?
Do you think that I will ever fit into society,
and to be accepted as me? Tell me mommy . . . will I?
I hate playing this tug-of-war game,
bouncing between cultures, the hanguk and the meeguk.
People tell me to choose a side, to act my color.
What exactly can I say to that? I am Asian, and I am Caucasian.
I am how God has made me, His own creation.
So, in all the wisdom you possess, can you tell me one thing?
Mommy, will I ever be seen as me, a person, a human being
Gone Astray
by Samantha Anne Cox
Your love, it cuts me like a sharpened blade.
You, of all people, should have known how I feel!
I gave you all of me; my heart, my love, my soul.
What did you give me in return?
Only heartache and pain.
Why did you treat me the way you did?
Did you think I was stupid? Did you think I would never find out?
Why did you have go astray?
When you were scared, I cradled you in these arms of mine.
When you were sick, I nursed you back to health.
If there was any uncertainty there, I reassured your spirit.
I was there for you, there was not a thing I would not do for you.
I thought I knew every inch and fiber of your being: from the strands
of hair on your head down to your shy heart I knew it all.
Or at least I thought I did.
How could I have not realized that you played me for a fool?
The answer is so apparent now before I was feeling so careless,
so blinded by the love you had entwined me in.
So now, I sit here, retracing all the steps that led up to
this and I ask myself but one question:
Why have you gone astray?
Mixed Blood
by Crystal White
Mixed blood
Runs thru my veins
Korean Seoul Black Power
Pours down like rain
As I child I couldn’t understand
Why did God do this?
What was His plan?
Men wanted to be with me
Because my exotic being
Fitted in their fantasy
They didn’t know
The intelligence I possessed
Trying to play me like a toy
All I wanted was to be caressed
Women hated out of jealousy
A little taken off course
Didn’t know what ingredients created me
Its my mixed culture
That gave the sway in my walk
The strength of a Black Eurasian Vulture
The accent in my talk
I embrace my uniqueness
a life of conversation starters
and a world of bliss
Don’t trip because I’m Korean and Black
I’m comfortable in my skin
And can’t nothing get me off track!
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A Mind Of Our Own
by Yolanda Stafurik
A mind of our own, a mind full of potential
With a mind you can flourish, but a mind can also be lethal
Lethal if you lack the inability to control and think
With overpowering influences that stifle you to the brink,
Brink of no return and devastating consequences
As the universe progresses, the pliable mind regresses
Why is this so, in a sufficient world like today.
With all our available resources, one would say.
How can someone be so lost, narrow and close-minded?
Believing everything they see, that is posted in the media.
The mind is getting clouded and soon will be distorted.
Full of poor thoughts and judgments, bound to cause havoc.
Nevertheless it continues, despite all the efforts;
To cease this growing epidemic, a society full of puppets
The mind no longer productive, since the infection’s still spreading
The mind numbing disease that is halting free thinking
This mind numbing disease, causing prejudice and uncertainty
Only time will time if a remedy will cure the suffering.
Short Ode To Queens
by Richie Bauer
133rd Street
between Booth Memorial and 57th Ave
Flushing-Corona Meadows Park
Whitestone Bridge crosses the East River
where building roof-tops kiss
was where I became
a displaced [Jewish] boy
with curious brown eyes
astray in this new world
that is when
I learned
what it meant
~ to be alive ~
133rd Street
a universe far different
from the sugar-coated shores
of
90265
because
here
fancy country clubs
and fast cars didn't matter
being different was normal
-
and I never wanted to leave
Untitled
by Alice Tea
Physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, I have
had to fight every step of the way,
and damn sometimes it's so hard to wake up in the
mornin' and say
okay Ima make it today.
but hope is what keeps my heart alive and my mind
kickin',
otherwise I'll fall into the abyss that other folk
mistaken
for the easy way out.
Ain't no such thing as easy,
Life's supposed to be hard,
cuz you can't learn any lessons if you are too tired..
or lazy..
or whatever helps you through the haze.
Me? I'm in front with my arms wide open,
cuz each day I wake to find myself hopin'
that I can't be the only left with a heart,
Life is too hard
already.
A lot of people out there have mistaken my kindness
for weakness,
but believe me there ain't nobody out there that will
make that mistake again,
even with all of my sweetness.
You might look at me once and think of me never again,
stick an immediate label sayin "This one ain't golden."
I can only say, "I ain't missin' much if you wanna be like that..."
And now I'll take the memorable words from Forrest...
"That's all I have to say about that!"
Depth Perception
by Frank Y Pak Agostinelli
Trying to play the guessing game
How about asking, "What's your name?"
A routine never-ending, how much time am I spending?
Or shall I say wasting? Like bamboo I'm bending
But I will never be broken, or treated like a token
Feel my emotions through these words I've spoken
The world ain't against me, but it surely ain’t for me
I'm here to stay so don'tcha dare ignore me
Sometimes you adore me, sometimes you abhor me
The life of a Hapa should be a Lifetime story
You can't hold me back or even slow my pace
I've lapped you thrice while you studied my face
This rat race called life I punch at full throttle
Ain't no tricks or treats, no one's tipping the bottle
I have a goal to accomplish, I know you're astonished
The Yang is the pearl, the Yin is the onyx
My Hapaness, so advantageous
And some of these stereotypes are so outrageous
But there's a lil' bit of truth, a lil' bit of seasoning
And I won't argue with your twisted reasoning
A one way perspective one cannot hear
Reciprocal respect, some savoir faire
I'm a blend, a mixture, a permanent fixture
With that nitwit shit, I'm sure to nix ya
Let me help you strip away that narrow-minded way
Listen to what I say, never mind the display
These amenities blend so splendidly
And it won't be you who's upending me
Everything I do is on my own
No matter slanted eyes or my skin tone
The last name that doesn't match my face
I still handle my business with a Buddhist's grace
Now you got the picture or the photograph
How does it feel now you know the half?
Plus other things because you took the time
To see what's in my heart and what's on my mind
I may appear different and I'm sure I'm gifted
I'm not this vivified fad that the media has insisted
And persisted to push like some brand new gear
We're light, dark, disabled, straight, and queer
We're up and down the SES ladder
We don't believe we're better or believe we're badder
Dreams get shattered when we put our foot down
I beg your pardon if it's too profound
You’ve seen the depths on my soul and why I'm in control
Every obstacle makes me stronger, so what's next to unfold?
Just digest this meal into one whole calorie
Because I'm many ethnicities merging into one totality
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