she made me

Written by Samantha Hsiung, Grade 10

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Photo by Katherine Chui

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when i am six, Waipo¹ scolds

me for crying over a boy that

does not like me back.

she tells me that i don’t need a boy,

that i need a 男人 (nán rén)².

when i am nine, Waipo drags

me into the kitchen to fold dumplings.

she chisels a slice of dough into

a small and large circle,

loudly whispering that

my body is the same:

it can be whatever shape and size

i want it to be.

i (satisfyingly) smile as we toss the

irregularly-shaped dumplings into the

porcelain pot.

when i am twelve, Waipo brings

me to the river to breaststroke.

i am taught to cup my hands (in prayer)

and stretch out my arms until they

fill the wingspan of the sky.

Waipo (along with God) watches me practice until the

sky wanes, telling me to 不要放棄 (bú yào fàng qì)³.

i spend four hours in the river.

i am fifteen.

Waipo whines that

she is 孤獨 (gū dú)⁴,

that she is 老 (lǎo)⁵,

that she wants to give up.

i hush her and whisper that

she is loved,

that she is beautiful,

that she is strong.

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¹ grandmother

² man

³ Don’t give up

⁴ lonely

⁵ old