Chopsticks and Dumplings
Ichung Tan
I opened my lunch box.
At the bottom of the container:
Nappa and steamed dumplings.
I unsealed the lid just enough for the fork to rest.
The aroma filled the nostrils.
“Ew, what is that smell?”
I sighed and couldn’t wait til Friday, Pizza Day.
“What color highlighter am I holding?”
“Yellow, duh,” I replied.
What a dumb question.
“Yea, this is you.”
Why am I a yellow highlighter?
The question circled my head.
Perhaps they thought I “brighten” their days!
“Amy! Here. Sarah! Here. Uhh correct me if I’m wrong but e-chun?”
Definitely not here.
The whole room filled with laughter.
“Ching chong, ding dong.”
“Here.. it’s I-chung.”
My face lit on fire. I sank in my chair,
needed a new name.
Dumplings are what you order as appetizers.
Split two wooden sticks apart,
Struggle to get a grip,
Balance the dumpling,
Dump it into your watering mouth.
When you think of the color yellow,
Bees, sun, fire come to mind.
Not a person.
I may be yellow because I’m Asian,
But I have the nice gold tan
Everyone kills to get.
After all, my last name is Tan.
My name isn’t common.
If people could look past the funny sound,
Took the time to appreciate,
I would tell them:
In Chinese, there’s three characters in my name:
First, dad’s last name.
Second, love.
Third, mom’s last name.
Ichung Tan writes, “I am from East Brunswick, New Jersey. I am currently a junior, majoring in chemistry. I am someone who likes to laugh and make others laugh; therefore, through my writing, I like to take serious topics and flip them into something positive and humorous. I feel like everyone is so uptight nowadays, so I hope everyone can sit down, read a poem, and chill.