“Permanence” by Anonymous, Class of 2021
Junk
Bay
Chinese
Permanent
Cemetery
my grandfather is buried there.
one of the many souls
whose last resting spots
face the rising condos of Hong Kong
overlooking the glimmering waves of Junk Bay
it was the first time that I saw what he looked like
his face
his haunting eyes on his tombstone
Robin told me that he has to move soon
his lease here is up
lease
as though one should be woken up from forever slumber
to pay rent
so much for permanence
Hong Kong’s that expensive these days
the living is restless
and the dead can’t have rest
Robin told me that Chantal’s great uncle is buried here too
before she left
for that better life she heard about
across the ocean
she told him to pay tribute in place of her family
but they lost track of where he was
over twenty Ching Ming Festivals have passed
his grave lays dirty
his memory lays unremembered
but I remember
how can I ever forget
now that I know he’s somewhere
how can I ever forget
now that I know he’s family.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I wrote this while reflecting on my time abroad in Hong Kong in fall 2019. I didn't grow up with my father, so this was the most time I had ever spent with him in the same city. Most of my father's and mother's (affectionately referred to as Robin and Chantal) family was born and raised in HK, but last fall was the first time I had gone back in over a decade. I think a lot about the family I never got to know and the family I had the chance to meet. Robin brought me to a lot of places he found important and I've come to understand more about the familial identity, roots, and legacies that I carry within me.
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