Cut (Citrus)
Franny W.
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This piece is based on the most vivid memories I have as a child. Growing up, every Christmas and New Year satsuma mandarins were plentiful in both of my households. For both my family in Japan and Italy, it was tradition to put an orange in the toe of a child’s stocking, a treat as they were expensive and seasonal. This poem is about a parent unable to express their love for their child in a conventional way, so instead they show it in tasks. The pain of raising a child as a single parent, and the fear that they will turn out the same as you. It represents the struggle that parents- especially immigrant parents- have surrounding vulnerability and showing their love. This piece is inspired by a mix of how my mother raised me and how my grandfather raised my father. My grandfather was abusive as a result of culture, racism, and addiction, and it is clear in how my father was raised. Parents like this want their child to be happy and successful, but they show it harmfully. The end lines are based on how this parent sacrificed so much for their child that they have become jaded, yet still bleed for them.
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Creativity allows for me to express what I keep inside. I struggle severely with vulnerability and I push things down until they burst out, so having the ability to express these emotions and struggles with words and visual arts is incredibly healing to me.
