A Letter to My Immigrating Parents, (1986)

I wish I could have been there to hold your hands.

To walk off that plane with you two,

and hold onto the $1000 that was given as the only gift.

I wish I could’ve been at your wedding,

to see love and happiness blossom before the hard times.

Mum, I wish I could’ve helped you work all three shifts at the hospital.

I will never know how hard it was to put someone through school.

I’m sorry I wasn’t there to wipe your tears mum.

Dad, I wish I could’ve been there to stand up for you.

I would have told everyone how lucky anyone is,

to have you in their lives.

I know it was hard working two jobs and studying,

but I know you always looked forward to coming home.

I’m sorry you had to struggle alone, and wait two years for

her Green card to finally come.

I wish I was there to stand up to the people who told you,

“You don’t belong here.”

I’m old enough now where I can give them a piece of my mind.

I wish I had seen you two at dad’s grad school graduation.

I would have snapped a photo so fast and fastened it to the

center of my heart.

I wish I could have seen the love from spending years together,

and finally adding five more members to your family.

I wish I had seen you both come out of the darkness,

and into the light.

I wanted to be the tree for you, mum and dad.

I wish you had put your burdens on me and

let me take the brunt of it all.

But in reality, mum and dad,

you both would not have let take them anyway.

You two were the branches who leaned on each other,

and then became the tree which grew into the light.

Eventually, you two embodied my mind, body and soul

with your beautiful journey.

I wish I had been there to help through the hard times,

but you two struggled and fought until morning broke.

The sun came up and kissed you two, and the new

day finally begun.