poems
“Yogurt Covered Raisins”Poem by Audrey Isabelle Mabanta
in L.A., I’m a yogurt covered raisin
at home, I’m a grape
being away from Filipino spaces
Dries. Me. UP. man.
the lack of
MMK episodes
shrimp sinigang
family friend parties
gossip in Kapampangan
prayers before I sleep
skype calls w/ Lola
I wrinkle up like her
(I have dry skin)
crying AWAY from Seafood City
(too far away actually)
naturally, I go to others
venting my inaudible frustrations
karen chimes in with her yogurt
now I have a sweet, pale coating
and a sour, wrinkled body
I mean, I meet mandarins,
and mangos, cranberries,
even freeze-dried strawberries
and we become this little community
of dried fruits at trader joe’s
look,
I actually like yogurt covered raisins
and even though I’m allergic now
I used to be able to eat grapes in a mixing bowl
I want be both a yogurt-covered raisin and a grape
but the state in-between is a soggy grape
I don’t fuck with soggy grapes.