Cạo gió translates to shaving the wind
Cạo gió translates to
shaving the wind, a ritual practice
done when sick, when tender,
when thương. remember
scraping the unholy wind
from me, a Vietnamese
tradition, medicine tastes
like
memory in the
body.
(a prayer / chant)
how young was i
when i had been my
mother’s daughter?
do i still get to be?
the wind on my back
as i watch the bruise
form, unsightly being,
my body,
is it my body?
the traditional Vietnamese
medicine working
my muscle,
form, unsightly,
daughter,
will i die your daughter?
do i still get to be?
ungodly god, unfold me,
unmake me, form, body
forming
—a daughter.
Blue Đào Nguyễn (IG: @blue.ngu) is a Vietnamese-Teochew (潮州話) non-binary lesbian poet, artist, and organizer. Inspired by cartography and Vietnamese architectural symbolism, they explore grief, prayer, and livelihood through poetry, traditional Viet woodworking, clay, & fiber art. Their debut collection Hey Siri, What Time is it in Vietnam? is out now with GameOverBooks. They have received support and/or fellowship from Lambda Literary, Fine Arts Work Center, AIR.HUE, & more. Nominated for Best of the Net and Best New Poets, you can find them at bluenguyen.com.