My Heritage Poem 

by Sylvie B.

My heritage is a fire that will never burn out

A Vietnamese princess surrounded by her family

Living in Saigon, it’s not safe anymore

Boom! Gunfire. These soldiers are just the pawns in the game

A family of 8 squashed into one house

Five gossipy birds, fighting over something silly

One rooster, pulling himself in between them, trying to stop it

My heritage is a fire that will never burn out

My heritage is a story of old customs and new challenges

Money hiding behind special red envelopes

Dice throwing, quarters to gamble

Vietnamese war, forcing people to move

Old woman on the outside, a two year old on the inside

To speak no English made them mute

My heritage is a story of old customs and new challenges