B*Y*N*
My mother tells me of half recalled grandparents
With possibility of tainted blood, of self destruction
Of women who hid with their sisters from the lust of invaders
Of men with mestizo features and possibility
She doesn't want to age
My mother tells me of half recalled grandparents
Ones she barely met and ones she carried with her
With possibility of tainted blood, of self destruction
Of women who hid with their sisters from the lust of invaders
Shaking between unsolid structures, clutching hands
Of men with mestizo features and possibility
Wasted for the white man's salvation
We do not, we can not speak in other stories
We only reminisce on the faint shadows of ancestors.
Joseph Schwarzkopf Jr./Butchoy (he/him) is a Western Sydney-based poet and filmmaker. His practice explores the varied experiences of the Filipino diaspora. His written works have been published in the UTS Writers’ Anthology, the Australian Poetry Anthology, and the Mascara Literary Journal. Joseph’s favourite word is pie.
This poem will also be featured in the upcoming issue, Mahal: Mahal: Who We Are, What It Cost Us, and How We Love. Expected publication date is January 2021.
Following the poetic form, The Labra, created by Keana Aguila Labra.
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