the definition of a good daughter
By Shekina Oh
i wish i got that scholarship/or even applied for it/my mind was going places/while filling up the forms/i didn’t know/we would need it that badly/i didn’t know/we were this and that/i didn’t know/you could call us/refugees/it’s only recently/when i started looking at myself/and seeing another place/in my eyes and nose/and skin/seeing somewhere a five hour plane ride/away/i didn’t know that’s why/you kept taking me home/every summer/every time you saved up/a little bit more/and could treat us to goose/in a fancy restaurant/food that remind you/of where we’re from/i didn’t know how much/you worked/and you saved/long hours in the office/and deepseek conversations/translating chinese to english/learning/at fifty/how to fill/the many forms life/requires of those/like you
i wish i could help/i wish i kept my part-time job/instead of studying the sat/i wish i never asked for that pink bag/or a powerbank/or school supplies/i wish/i could give you/all you gave to me/and that three-minute helicopter ride/you told me you wanted/to try/and to see your cousin in china/once again
i’m sorry. i tried. i can’t.
Bio: Shekina Oh is a high schooler and an aspiring writer. Her work is featured in The New York Times, Write the World Review, and Under the Madness Magazine, among others. In her spare time, she likes writing (of course), making small crafts, and watching Instagram reels.
