(Found poems)
1. Tectonic plate
the sub-layers of the family’s crust that move, float, and sometimes fracture and whose interaction causes continental drift, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and oceanic trenches.
Remember to always pack cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. Diapers are a must. Food is the only way to stave off the inevitable meltdown. Even then, it may not work. Sometimes, all it takes is a good cry, a cuddle, and kisses. When you hit me, I get upset. Say sorry. Sayang mummy. It’s OK, sayang. I know you’re tired. I’m tired too. Come, lie down next to me. Story?
2. Plate tectonics
the lithosphere of the family is divided into a small number of plates which float on and travel independently over the mantle and much of the family’s seismic activity occurs at the boundaries of these plates
It feels like the longer I live abroad, the less I understand the family I left behind. We are all morphing. Hybrids. We take in the soil and air of where we live. Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, UK. So different. As I move closer and closer towards my roots – my loved ones move elsewhere, and reach far beyond me. There is growth, there is pain, there are misunderstandings. Wi-Fi lags during video calls. What did you say again? What connects us is blood, trauma, and our mother. And love. It is hidden beneath frustration and disappointment. But it’s there. Cup it carefully in your palms. Breathe gently. Be.
3. Continental drift
a slow movement of the family on a deep-seated viscous zone within the earth.
Traveling with small children is akin to pulling out rotten teeth without anesthesia. Painful, but necessary. I am 6 months pregnant and flying solo with my spirited toddler. I want her to have the roots that I did not. I want her to know, love and be with her grandmother, aunties, uncles and cousins. I want her to swim in the cold ocean water of the Northern beaches. I want her to run barefoot on different grass. I crave the kefta roll with extra garlic from Lakemba, the hot gozleme from Auburn, the lamb noodle soup from the city. Memories imprint in our cells.
I want my children to remember.
