聽

by Nicole Yeo

 

耳

Give ear to the old naggy woman,

the one with tiny ears.

She would don her favourite

jade tear-shaped earrings,

waiting

for someone to listen to her stories.

 

王

When she was raising her

dua-eh, ah-meh, ah-mei, ah-di;

she loved them like precious

Royalties. But now all grown-up, they

pawned her jeweled crown

which rests in their

life-savings account.

 

十目

Every Chinese New Year,

ten pairs of eyes would greet her

mechanically: “Xīn nián kuài lè,

ah-ma. Shēn tǐ jiàn kāng.”

But none of these little eyes

have noticed her

chronic back pain, have they?

 

一

Once a week, one phone call,

that is all she asks for.

Instead once a month,

she gets a one minute

call. From only

one

of them.

 

心

Her breakfast-kakis call them

heartless. She defends them,

but still she locks the

only thing left of her in

a safe.

Protecting it, making sure it

never shatters to pieces.

 

聽

She prays for each

of them every night.

Hopefully, God is

listening

to her prayers.