goodbye, Grandma said
in Mandarin
not a language she knows.
one she learned for me
who left home
and her garden unattended
one she forgot, since.
pigs squealed while being dragged by men
chickens crowed for nourishment
half-wild half-pet dogs barked at strangers
and amid all the striving vibrations of life
I whispered in Grandma’s garden
safe travels.
she smiled as if she understood.
Joy builds tech products in NYC for a living. She holds a BA from Dartmouth College and a Master’s degree from Harvard.