phone call, february evening
you might as well have asked why birds of a feather flock together.
tethering themselves to each other,
earnest community
is the answer –
we're sitting on separate sides of the phone.
honing in on how i feel an ocean away
waiting for you to speak. you say something about
curiosity piqued by
filipino pride. specifically, why
this community is so important to immigrants
and children of immigrants.
i want to say my heart is in my throat, but can't.
can't move. can't think. can't ink
the language on my skin in an explanation,
nations i've belonged to as a lesson
i've only started to try and understand.
and how do i tell you that it's not weird (but dear)
for me to hear our stories and feel power in our roots,
too soon for me to say this is the first time
i've felt like i've found a home
there is strength in being known.
Janelle Salanga is a self-professed Gryffindor and an ardent advocate of used bookstores. She is a current sophomore at the University of California, Davis, majoring in science & technology studies while minoring in political science and communication. When she's not coding or binge-watching Michael Schur shows, she writes for UC Davis Magazine as an editorial intern and is currently directing a vignette for Pilipinx Cultural Night. Her work has been published in The Margins, Occulum, and The Brown Orient, among other places. You can find her (re)tweeting assorted oddities @janelle_cpp. She is a regular contributor for Marías at Sampaguitas.
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