New Immigrants Poem by Chen-ou Liu

A Haibun

After the last shift, they come in a babble of tongues, battling over the Canadian winter, work-related issues, and politics - both from the local district and back home. Their talk begins in Mandarin, merges with Cantonese, often migrates into accented English, and then returns to their native tongue. Most of the talk is repeated, amplified, and sometimes changed a little for a new co-worker or particular occasion. The only pause is at the mention of broken dreams.

chopsticks clicking
in Gold Mountain Diner
the smell of home