World Poetry Cafe Radio Show Feature

Last night, I had my debut radio show appearance on the World Poetry Cafe Radio Show.

Overall, it was a fun and exciting experience! I answered questions about inspiration, my writing background, rap music, and future plans. I also read five poems, including “Where I am From”, focusing on images from Asian culture and the vastness of time. Since I’m still getting used to poetry readings, the show also offered a great opportunity to practice and get feedback.

Thanks to everyone who tuned in. If you missed the show and are interested in checking it out, you can download the MP3 recording.

Where I am From

I am from the ragged shorelines of Yangtez River
Traffic jammed boulevards of Beijing
Splashing waters of Niagara Falls
Metallic skyscrapers of Vancouver

I am from a jade monkey birth pendant
My grandpa’s tales of foul spirits and warring kingdoms
Asian peace signs in front of cameras
Living rooms overcrowded with cousins and cigarette smoke

I am from the crimson neckties of Young Pioneers
Cotton hand-me-down uniforms scarred with grease stains
Metal bars of creaky school gates
Delighted cries at a top score on exam papers

I am from torn pages of watercolour landscapes
Stir-fries with pork chops and crunchy baby ginger
Illegible handwriting in spiral notebooks
Cards shuffled and fading and well-loved

I am from the scattered leaves of fall
Ridiculous dares accepted with joking courage
Forbidden trips to winding cobblestone hutongs
Games of police versus prisoners with preteen boys

I am from fractured memories of lands overseas
Black-and-white photos I no longer recognize
Clouds that shapeshift into trains and octopi and pirate ships
Musings on the symbols of a mosaic world