The Microphone was Still On

I'm actually blanking, right now.
Totally & completely blanking out.
Just like last night,
when I stepped into the bright light,
clad in an elegant dress and sparkling eyes,
ready to say my line,
and announce the next act.
My mind was blank,
just blank as a whiteboard,
a spankin' new whiteboard.
Even as I stepped out from the green room,
I knew I'd forgotten,
forgotten the words,
the words I'd rehearsed mere seconds before.
Thankfully Lillie's a quick thinker,
we skipped my line,
and started with hers,
an unmistakably awkward way to start the lines.
The rest of the lines were fine,
I actually remembered.
When we finished and made it back,
backstage, I laughed and said:
"Oh, now I remember my first line."
Later, my Dad let me know,
that everyone had heard.

written on February 22, 2010 for a free write in Mr. Green's English class (name changed for privacy)

This Is Just To Say

I have flown

to New Zealand

which was on

the "To Do List"

and

you are probably

missing

my presence

Forgive me

this island is so gorgeous

so warm

and so inviting.

Written September 15, 2009 as spin-off (copy change) of This Is Just To Say By William Carlos Williams for Mr. Green's class.

My Name

In English, Tang has connotations to the juice. In Chinese, Tang actually means “soup” – no joke. It is short and simple; it is four letters long. When I explain what it really means, people chuckle – but I don’t explain it often.

            It’s not a common surname, but it is my brother’s, my father’s, my grandfather’s, all the others. And it is also mine. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t change it. A last name is nothing like a first name. It is foreign, but it is easy to pronounce – even though it’s actually pronounced with a short O sound. That doesn’t bother me though; even I pronounce it wrong, and on purpose.

            It’s cool in school when we learn about Chinese history and the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. It was a good time: expansion, stable government, extensive trade, and all that usual jazz.

            I would like to be thought of as a princess – even if the unit only lasts for a week. But the truth is the Tang in my name is different from the Tang in the dynasty. My Tang means soup, their Tang means sugar, candy, and sweetness. But, no one has to know the difference.

written May 25, 2010 for a House on Mango Street assignment as a spin-off of "My Name"