This is just a poem I wrote for homework. I'm not a poet, but I tried to capture the love between my mother and father before they were married. Margaret had asked the class not to make the poem rhyme, so I tried to be as creative as I could.
-Rachel Chung
-Rachel Chung
Letters between Mama and Papa
Mama, Papa, tell me a story
Story of your love, your life
Life as two lovers far apart
Apart from each other.
Child, daughter, sit down right here
Here in my lap while I share
Share with you the magic
Magic of words and paper.
Woman, bachelorette, waiting for her true love
Love easier than being an immigrant to America
America challenging her identity and security
Security as a child in pre-war Vietnam.
Man, bachelor, seeking the right one
One who could understand him
Him who came to America for knowledge
Knowledge not available for many poor Malaysians.
Suitor, matchmaker, Mama’s friend placed an ad
Ad searching for Mama’s possible lover
Lover for a lonely, shy, hardworking woman
Woman whose life was missing a man’s love.
Writer, poet, Papa writes to the striking Beauty
Beauty of the young woman he reads about in the newspaper
Newspaper opening doors to the beginning of a relationship
Relationship that blossoms through words.
Acquaintance, potential boyfriend, Papa breathes magic into words
Words that open and woo Mama’s heart
Heart warming up to this stranger
Stranger that isn’t the typical “love at first sight.”
Images, pictures, they send letters back and forth
Forth towards eventual dating and face-to-faces
Faces so young, so tender, Mama shy and quiet
Quiet love blossoming with this soft-spoken man.
Wishing, waiting, Papa wonders when she will write back
Back to where he sits waiting to hear her words
Words woven by her hand into the yellow parchment
Parchment placed in an envelope sealed with a kiss stronger than glue.
Time, a year, it passes before Papa’s big decision
Decision that Papa desperately hopes and wishes
Wishes to solidify this distant, silent, but powerful love
Love kept alive and loud through the magic of words.
Dearest, beloved, will you marry me?
Me, the man who transformed from pen and paper
Paper to a human being with a mind
Mind set on spending the rest of his life with you?
Distance, length, let us close the gap between us
Us, who have grown to love and cherish
Cherish the intimate connections we built
Built and will continue to improve in eternal marriage.
Papa, father, did the woman of your dreams say yes?
Yes, my dear child, Mama accepted my hand
Hand that wrote those magical letters
Letters that brought us closer than physical contact ever could.
And Rachel, my dearest girl, there are many forms of love
Love through paper, through pencil, through voice
Voice seen by the eyes and heard through the heart
Heart beating steadfastly for the musical, mythical language of the next letter.
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