to be asian, now
Heidi Wong
written during the COVID-19 pandemic
how godly, to be asian,
now, and love yourself.
a covenant of history, a scripture
to our goldblood. to be asian,
now, is to be the sun
shining, also, shining,
still, on those who both consume
and condemn its light.
when the world is a torch, to be asian,
now, is to be a witch
refusing to burn.
Heidi Wong is a poet and artist who grew up between Beijing, Hong Kong, and New York. Since posting her poems online at 15-years-old, she has developed a unique voice that juxtaposes surreal and macabre imagery with intimate and beautiful language. She was the winner of the 2018 Button Poetry short form contest, and the winner of the National Art and Calligraphy Competition of China for 6 consecutive years. Now, she continues to share her work with her audience of nearly 1M followers. Her third collection, Turning to Wallpaper (Central Avenue,) will be released in the fall.
