Listen to Joyce reading this poem:
The tropical heat glows upon the roof. In the morning light the mother busies herself before waking the child. Tiptoeing across the floorboards of wood, gathering the embers of yesterday’s fire, adding new coal, noting her beating heart. The Promised Land, she tells her heart where they would have a roof over their head, a kitchen with fire. She touches her jade bangle, the mother; arranges the kettle on the wood. The floor creaks, here comes the child. Today is the day, she tells the child with a bright smile that belies her heart. The kettle whistles, bubbling on wood steam ribbons float to the roof curling into pink peonies above the mother who holds up half the sky. The fire dances – iridescent blue, orange fire while bandages bind the feet of the child to create lotus buds, unlike the mother with her broad peasant feet and heart. Wisps of scented powder tickle the roof and little peony tears wet the wood. Tick tock, hours etched on wood. The lotus feet sear with pain like fire, shooting quivering sparks toward the roof. Swinging bandaged feet, the child pleads, toes misshapen, broken heart. She clings to the dreams of her mother. Small and dainty feet, says the mother will bring gold and silver, not wood. Lotus buds, the way to a man’s heart. As women they must bear fire, upholding tradition from mother to child, emulating the Moon Goddess beyond the roof. Time to tame your heart of fire, says the mother to the child. The wood stove sighs gently toward the roof.
Joyce Loh is a Singaporean writer by way of Malaysia whose work explores the intersections of organisation health, motherhood and humanity from the immigrant experience. She studied at the University of New South Wales, Australia and New York University. An ICF Associate Certified Coach, she currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband, raising third culture kids. She starts the day with a cappuccino and practices pilates for sanity. When not travelling, keeping fit or learning languages, she hones her craft with the International Writers’ Collective. She shares her writing at joyceloh.com and on Instagram: @joycelohwrites