In this excerpt of digital magazine, this is for mẹ, Danny Thien Le revels and reflects in the power of one word to heal, create home, kindle nostalgia and transcend time. That word is mẹ, the Vietnamese word for mother.
this is for mẹ is a digital magazine for Vietnamese and API identified people to discuss mothers, motherhood, motherlands, mother-tongues and family.
~
Appellation
Do you remember
the first time you
taught me your name
Was I swaddled under
the bone white moon,
or nursed atop a heaven of
mangroves and sea foam
How long was it until
the word mẹ found form
Tucked into my mouth
like soften grain and milk,
mother’s lullaby
pressurized coda,
a choir song
How long did it take me
to shape the void into a home,
until you recognized yourself
in the polish of my voice
Was I finally a refuge
for the refugee
An echo of your identity
that cooed and cried
in a hammock of hands
Did I sound like I valued
the sound of this gem
that hummed in my mouth
Gurgling like a brook
in the wake of a monsoon
My hands, no bigger
than last night’s dream,
outstretched digits
grasping upward at the face
that peered back at me
Did it come before or after
the tears fell,
like a cicada in the summer
Did I sound like ông nội,
a salve for your longing
of Di Linh and dried dâu tây
Your name left a hole
that the ocean couldn’t fill,
tousled by a faint drone,
the pearl that was heard
I cupped my hands
and said your name,
warmth escaping through
the cracks of apologies
that have found no shore
I repeat this call, mẹ ơi,
as it makes its way through
broken language and
a stubborn heart
Becoming a bouquet,
every time it is spoken
in your name
—
Danny Thien Le (Dandiggity) is a first generation Vietnamese-American writer, poet, cultural enabler, and future librarian hailing from San Jose, CA. His birth state of Oklahoma made him “different”, but the Bay Area amplified his diverse, personal voice. He represents Universal Grammar, Cukui Clothing, POW! WOW! San Jose, the San Jose Public Library, and the global APIA diaspora. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in Library Information Science at San Jose State University. @dandiggity www.dacbietdaily.com