Someone called me Princess of China 

My hair up in two big buns 

Not even adorned in gold 

Someone pulled their eyes back at the playground 

Smiling, toothless grin 

& I smiled along with them but 

I never had to pull my eyes to look funny 

Someone kept asking me if I spoke Chinese 

I think I said no three times when 

He came in the next day to buy fruit 

And asked a fourth 

Someone at the post office made me cry 

Getting my photo taken for a passport 

“You need to open your eyes wider”, she scolds me 

But they’re as wide as they can go 

Someone told me to not put on eye liner 

Because when I close my eyes 

I’ll look like a raccoon 

I have to hand it to them— 

At least they didn’t say panda 

Someone taught me a song in elementary school 

Before I could really remember 

Or understand 

“Me Chinese—” 

It began 

& I don’t think I was allowed over her house again 

After I showed it to my mom, looking so proud 

To hate myself 

Someone asked me if I spoke my mother’s tongue and 

Tired, I said yes 

My mother’s tongue is English 

My blonde haired, blue-eyed Mother’s 

Tongue 

Is my 

Tongue 

And they tell me 

“Oh, you know I don’t mean it like that!” 

*** 

Princess of China, American-bred, summons everyone to the throne room. She is sucking sweet fruit from  her fingertips. The camera keeps rolling. Her hair is curled, half-up in two big buns, and she has painted her face like an American sunrise. Adorned with gold dripping through her teeth she asks; Then what did you mean.