▶ Family Gatherings

At family gatherings
It all consists of loud talking
And loud laughter
Of a bunch of little Asian women
With their husbands sitting nigh
Drinking beer
And chatting idly amongst themselves

And then there’s the “kids” who chat and laugh with each other
Then leave ten minutes in
Because they can
Because they are older and have better things to do

But then there’s the other half of the kids.
One who won’t shut up
Who craves for attention
That everyone only pretends to give
One who sits quietly
And speaks only when spoken too
And only to his father who sits to his right.

Then there’s me.
Sitting next to my grandmother
Not really paying attention to anything
Just sitting there because I have to be there
Because I’m expected to be there
And to be polite
And to greet everybody
Because that’s what kids are supposed to do
Because that’s the respectful thing to do.