Familiarity
I. déjà vécu
I have already experienced this
Fuck an NYC hustle and grind
But also?
Thank God I’m from here.
Lessons learned on a 45-minute commute turned 2 hours
When you arrive, you arrive
Nothing wrong with having expectations
But also?
No point in being disappointed
II. déjà senti
I have already felt this
Facebook message from grandma:
I wish nga na dito ka na magstay habang lockdown kayo.
Respond:
I know. I promise I will visit when things get better.
Subtext:
I am always with you.
III. déjà visité
I know this place I have never visited before
Between Astoria Ditmars and Wadsworth Avenue
Raley Creek to Goldenrod
Is the throughline
Inked on my left arm
“Bind My Wandering Heart to Thee”
My new therapist and my previous one would both agree
that I am too hard on myself
Barbara Jane Reyes wrote that “You do not get lost on an island”
To which I would probably reply, “Watch me.”
Roxanne Lim (she/her), also known as "REAL" or "Renaissance Roxy," is a third-generation Filipina-American from New York City. She is a filmmaker, poet, storyteller, and artist. Her work strives to empower and uplift marginalized communities, specifically through the arts. She is the host of Suplada Pod (a podcast centered on the intersection of Filipinx culture and pop culture), and co-director of a visual poem series called GLIMPSES.
You can follow Roxanne on Twitter and IG @renaissanceroxy.