VOL        

        UME




 

Origins
Yan Ruan


If I were to be made
of clay sculpted the way
my ancestor said,
           “Ba used mud, Ma used water,
            together they made you ––”

No. If I in my own bed,
my thighs the color of fertile soil
the smell in between
                                    earthy ––

No. If I in my mirror
look back from the other side
do you realize she is only
           known by you
           and no one else? ––

No. I think I have
your cheekbones, Ba.
Yan Ruan is a Brooklyn-based writer and artist. She was born and raised in Beijing, China, and earned her PhD in Social Psychology at University of Rochester.
Mark



©2024 Volume Poetry
Join our mailing list:


Follow us on instagram.
Submit your work to Volume:
submissions@volumepoetry.com

Site design by Nick Fogarty