Gratitude to my mentor poet (& another poem)

 “Poetry is power. Making the choice to sit down and write or read a poem is power. It’s a choice. It’s self-care. It’s the start of a revolution. It’s change.”

Poetry is power. Self-care. Change. This quote by January Gill O'Neil, my mentor poet, empowered me in this poetry unit—encouraging me to not give up on the search for deep analysis, universal extensions, and personal connections. Upon reading "In Praise of Okra," written by my mentor poet, I not only noticed the shifts in meaning and pace (which follow her growing passion) but also the cultural significance behind this poem. The nature of this narrative poem brings us along this emotional journey of how okra is perceived in the public, the history of okra, and what okra means to you. That last stanza, particularly the short sentence "Soul food.", culminates the poem with a prideful tone, one that encourages me to be proud of my culture as well. I simply admire how she was able to express such a powerful message through food as mundane as okra. Okra is more than just a vegetable; it signifies the celebration behind soul food and making “something out of nothing”. 

I also love writing about the intersection of food and culture. Taking O'Neil's poem as inspiration, I played with a new style, incorporating shifts in point-of-view, meaning, and syntax. It's an add-on to my previous poem, "Waiting for 360º". The previous poem discusses the beginning of Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), while this poem discusses the end (Lantern Festival).

When My Family Eats Glutinous Rice Balls

Floating around

its presence is demanding: it

sticks to your teeth & stains your lips 

& sustains you fast & spills off your chin. 

Never 

is it at the times you expect.

Never 

is it eaten daily.

High-calorie & high-sugar;

Mom would say no more

except, finally, 

the fifteenth.

Because back in the day our maid

made many, many, many…

Praising the gods—please,

Let me see my family!

& it was a wish granted, a tradition carried, a legend remaining. 

Oh, these glutinous rice balls,
I glorify you, 
no matter how sticky, gooey, 
& chewy. You light a smile, you tell me,

we are united. Together.

I've always been relatively reluctant to write and speak about my cultural background, but O'Neil's words have inspired me to appreciate the beauty of poetry. I feel that speaking about my culture is even more important now, given the current circumstances with awareness for the AAPI community. I will continue to write more courageously, finding inspiration from the smallest things in life. Sometimes those, after all, are the moments that spark the most joy.