Agent Orange Infection—I
Go to School with My Friend
after Do Nguyen Thanh Tam
Cannot writing skin this
The
not-mine uptilted not-sky
orange boxbody
the
sky pulled down sick
not smile
street a girl I do not
the
not an invasion
your face
she wears molting not
a skin the pink
patch sun fried
the warm
sky
Peaceful Country
after Huynh Vu Thuy Duong
morning the girl
used to
on the blue
appear
a flute opened
the green sun
I'm nowhere in vicinity. This
not
the
country I belong to, full
of rising leaves, resting
water buffalo, complete
houses in their places.
Let's not wait
holes
Let's not wait
the ground
to shatter. The girl
leads the way
home.
Note: This poem mashup was written in response to these Vietnamese children's paintings included in the SpeakPeace exhibit: “Agent Orange Infection—I Go to School with My Friend” and “Peaceful Country.”