On New Year’s we clink glasses, the dozing kids’ Martinellis flat in theirs
Hold out on their ages until they each finish a bowl of tteokgook
I wear a red dress for Valentine’s Day while you order way too much food
At least once, we all dress up in pastel for Easter for a photo, but skip church
In the summer we take a family trip somewhere cheaper and easier
Down countless bowls of naengmyeon, I do the noodle cutting for everyone
Our Fourth of July KBBQ is the talk of the town, everyone is invited
While I chase around all of you with the sunscreen you refuse
When school starts back up you bust out the Target gift cards
We put out the cobwebs and plastic tombstones the moment October hits
I negotiate extra trick-or-treat routes so you have a nice birthday
For Thanksgiving it's President Thai, but maybe one year, turkey
In December we finally have that large Christmas tree I wanted
Holiday cards recapping our year like the white people do
And every World Cup year, we have a jamon leg to carve with friends
It's a good thing you invested in a vacuum sealer in twenty twenty-two
And all the days, all year long, we embarrass the kids
Seven-second hugs, mispronouncing words, dancing in public
So they can see and live the life being dreamt of now
For the next years, and however many years after that.
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