Chen-ou Liu
Re-Homing?
During his much-anticipated debut appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau bantered with the host throughout most of the interview. Answering trivial questions Americans might have for Canadians, he got canned laughter and applause as he tried to set Canada apart from the U.S. His host prompted, “But I don’t know everything I should know about Canada. Imagine I come from a country where its people think mostly about themselves. I hear really good things about Canada, then sell me.”
The Prime Minister’s response was typical at first. “Canada is the best country in the world, has beautiful mountains, rivers, lakes … Oh, and Canada has three coasts: east, west and the Arctic.” Then he paused for a moment with his media-trained smile and continued to emphasize Canadian uniqueness. “The thing is, everyone focuses on the land, but really, Canada is about the people. It’s a range of people from every possible background who come together and—a little different from the melting pot in the United States where everyone gets to be American—we try to celebrate differences, and people keep their cultures and keep their languages.”
I turn off the TV and go to bed, but I cannot sleep and stare through a hole in the attic roof at a dreamless sky. The Prime Minister’s photogenic smile and lofty words keep hovering in my mind, recalling his 2015 campaign slogan: “My friends, sunny way, sunny way! Real change is on the way.”
stuck in traffic
as lines of protesters chant
"no more immigrants" ...
I wonder if beside my name
the hidden asterisk re-emerges
during lunch break
I drink another cup of coffee
dark and bitter ...
behind my back coworkers mimic
"you're flawed not a fraud"*
streaks of crimson
swallowed by the night sky …
the cries of snow geese
again rewilding
my immigrant heart
* Chinese Mandarin speakers often have difficulty learning l‘s and r‘s later in life.
About the Author
Chen-ou Liu is the author of two award-winning books, and his tanka and haiku have been honored with many awards. To see his work, visit his Poetry in the Moment blog.