Hakka were Yellow River people but

never claimed the place, foolishness 
is its own reward, we were dubbed Hak

Ka, 客家 Guest Family, forever without
place-name and fixed address, we were

unwelcome guests, butchered and un-
digested over centuries from the north

down through China’s innards, shat out
on to the tropic coast. After all the inter-

tribal prejudice we nicked off overseas 
unwelcomed as yet another exotic

spicing up the locals’ slurs and slings,
Discrimi Nation is an ugly country

so big that we can never get out,
my late Bà, he just rode the curve of

rising standards and looked back only
to bunk history, he smoked and ate

until there was no tomorrow, my family 
guested in the Malays’ Peninsula till

we read the riots, acting quick I was 
sent south with my reduced heritage

and my secret disco shoes, but still
adding to the first peoples’ burden,

to join for good and ill the growing
guest families of Terra Lucky. Arnott’s

Family Assorted. New Hakka Land.