Letters to Her Daughters: Dear Kimberly,
(1962)
My adopted brothers split wealth, told me
my hands were never big enough,
arms not strong enough to hold
my own fortune. So during Chuseok
I dressed you in baji to fool
the spirits. Prayed for boys bringing coin
silver and slender as the waning
moon. Most nights I don’t dream
of their half-drawn faces, don’t lament
the old world we left behind. But I want
your name golden, you beyond
every man’s reach, I want blood
to matter. I want America to be
the promise that finally came through.
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