What Do You Do With It All?

art by Tori Ochave, words by Helen Do

Lunar New Year 2024

The calendar that my roommates and I share

Reads, “O & C in NOVA”

With Feb 9 through 11 crossed out.

It’s New Year’s after all, yet

After all, the reverent student and filial daughter,

I didn’t think for a moment

That this was as an occasion worth going home for.

I wondered, then, if

Somewhere, I had lost all my senses?

How did I forget so easily

The dance-across-the-room sounds of spring, 

Exciting, promising

The sight of my grandma’s tightening jaw

          As she squeezes my brother’s ear

The smell of spicy vegetarian noodles in

          Nearly scalding soup

The smiles thanks to tacky toys

          Sold at that reliable booth

The splendor of a fresh and falling orange sugarcane drink

Somewhere in a distant, distilled

Ever sparkling past

Emily gave me a bánh chưng 

After I told her I really enjoyed it at the gala

One evening, I removed the red yarn and

Cut through the banana leaf.

Unsure of how to best prepare it, 

I called my dad

Then my mom.

My parents don’t pick up right away 

My grandma doesn't either

And I don’t blame them.

I don’t cook much

But I figured it out

I knew how to fry bánh chưng.

It doesn’t take much to enjoy

It’s delicious any way

I’ve promised myself to be with family next spring

My last semester in college

The first time I will have spent this special day with them

In áo dài

Eating pickled carrots and candied ginger

Since going away for school

Tết isn’t silly

Or forgotten,

Something to commodify,

Or to lose.

There will always be a reason to celebrate

When you know what love feels like 

Happy New Year is a call,

A drive,

An Amtrak ride away