Longing
Annie Liones Nguyen
for my paternal grandfather
the absence of your warmth
i cover;
hide it under the wool blanket
on an 8°C day
the smell of roasted peanuts wafts in
she yells for us,
for her grandchild and husband
‘she has to go,’
‘go where?’
‘to school.’
you stay, i go
my school lasted 7 years
away from my motherland
hey, ông à
we meet again
the absence of your warmth
calls for me once more
this time;
when i put my fingers to my lips
asking you to hide me from her
for me to skip class
and hide under the wool blanket
sharing warmth with you
like how we share the same surname
‘i want to stay here with you forever’
i whined,
but you no longer answer
Nguyễn Văn Kiều, 9/9/1939 - 4/4/2010
the absence of your warmth
i cover;
hide it under the wool blanket
on an 8°C day
the smell of roasted peanuts wafts in
she yells for us,
for her grandchild and husband
‘she has to go,’
‘go where?’
‘to school.’
you stay, i go
my school lasted 7 years
away from my motherland
hey, ông à
we meet again
the absence of your warmth
calls for me once more
this time;
when i put my fingers to my lips
asking you to hide me from her
for me to skip class
and hide under the wool blanket
sharing warmth with you
like how we share the same surname
‘i want to stay here with you forever’
i whined,
but you no longer answer
Nguyễn Văn Kiều, 9/9/1939 - 4/4/2010
Annie Liones Nguyen is a Vietnamese multidisciplinary artist based in Singapore. Her main mediums of expression are filmmaking and poetry. Her works mainly explore themes of humanism, grief, existentialism and empowerment. Her poetry works can be found or is forthcoming in The Holy Art, Artist Talk Magazine, Trouble Maker Fire Starter, Verum Literary Press, Musing Publications, New Note Poetry and other literary magazines and art exhibitions. She currently holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology and is set to pursue higher education in filmmaking in Los Angeles. Find her at www.annielionesng.com
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