Illustration by Katya Roxas
At the grade eight dance, they find you
hiding behind folded lunch tables,
seize your hands and feet, drag you
across the floor like a mop.
On the dance floor, a girl
feigns stomping on your face.
You run to the bathroom,
wipe the grime off your dress,
remove your glasses, world
becomes blur, gentling
to haze. If you can’t see them,
they can’t see you.
Fiona Tinwei Lam’s third book of poetry, Odes & Laments, is forthcoming this fall. Her work appears in several anthologies including The Best of the Best Canadian Poetry. She has also authored a children’s book and co-edited two nonfiction anthologies. Her poetry videos have been screened at festivals internationally. Visit fionalam.net
Katya Roxas was born and raised in the Philippines. Katya is well-versed with the sacrifices and opportunities that come with being an immigrant. Through her experiences, she strives to break the barriers of cultural misrepresentation by creating honest and inclusive visual expressions.