Food Court - Poetry by Timothy Kaiser

apple for the teacher
after the first day of school
loudmouth twelve-year-old
second row right side window
remedial English class
joins me on my walk to the train station.

Is your name Ben? I'm sorry but I can't remember all of my students' names on the first day.
        No, Ken.
Right, Ken (the showoff). What did you do during summer vacation, Ken?
        summer vacation
        mama say we go to China lah
Oh, that must have been nice.
        yeah, mama say we go see which wife
        daddy with now
        drink few Coke
        eat cup noodle
        in train.
I see.
        daddy say him and other girl just friends
        mama say I go to daddy's home to find daddy's friend
        watch for her go out lah
        mama bring me Coke
        hot noodles
        girl go out 3 a.m.
        she surprise see me
        I tell mama she don't come out
        we go back
        Hong Kong.

and almost every day after that
Ken walked me to the train station
he would have carried me all the way home on his back
even over the Lion Rock
straining
scooping up words I dropped
which might tell him
what love is not
what love is.

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