when you were young
you were living the same
day in the refugee camp
until you found yourself carrying
baggage from saigon to california
you hung on to words to
protect yourself
and i flinched every time
you raised your voice
at home you
asked me to take out
the trash and i
asked you to repeat
yourself in english
who knows where
disappointment will take me
seared pork belly
______shallots and
_____________minced garlic:
the smell of my fingers
is vietnamese enough.
i fill the pot with coconut soda
and fish sauce to prove it.
the smell fills the kitchen
hoping this time you won’t shake your head
what did you say again?
Brandon Vu is an educator in the Bay Area. He was a participant of Season 22’s AWP Writer-to-Writer Program. His chapbook was selected as a finalist for the 2025 Gold Line Press Chapbook Contest. Additionally, his work has appeared in KQED, The San Franciscan, and Ghost City Review.
