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I know how hard it was
for Mom to leave
her family in Boise
in the Summer of ’91.
For love—was it—or for Los Angeles?
She went for Dad, sitting
atop a sandal on N. Bonnie Brae—
his first four-household apartment.
Bà Nội. Uncle 5. Aunt 6.
He’d watched the sedans, truck
up & down the street, away
from Việt Nam forever.
It was different then, a quick
meeting of two strangers in Manila.
Two queer kids later, 29
years of marriage this November.
Real tình.
I am laying on a lichen green
couch in ’20—a broken tune
in the bustle of a changed LA.
Trái tim đã tan rồi.
Tôi nhớ rất nhiều
her wit. Her knack
for remembering songs.
Tiếng hát xinh đẹp in her Sports
Wrangler. Busted
right back light.
Catawampus NC plate.
Alina Nguyen is a poet from Los Angeles, CA who often writes about her family's experiences in Việt Nam and the United States. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Asian American Studies from California State University, Northridge. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from California State University, Long Beach. Her poems have appeared in Chaparral, Indicia, and more. Outside of writing, she enjoys meditation and wants to learn screenprinting next.