i belong on earth

i remember falling asleep
on flights
head against my mom’s shoulder
the tray table still down

they’d wake me up
when the wheels touched down
another place
another language

no matter where we landed
someone would tell me
i didn’t look like i belonged

but when 媽媽 walks beside me
i feel closer
she’s my tether
my jade
my rice

when i need to be brave
i say it like i did on stilts
du bist die größte,
du bist die stärkste,
du kannst alles

and when i don’t know what’s next
i hear my mother’s voice
船到桥头自然直
when the boat reaches the bridge,
it will straighten itself out

that’s how i live
always on the water
never at the dock
but never drifting

i’ve lived in too many places
to say where i’m from
but not enough
to feel like i belong

one day i want neighbors
who’ve known me for years
a garden
dogs
a front door that stays

but not yet

for now
i belong on earth
and nowhere else