Death is not a friend of mine
But is more like an acquaintance
Although I haven’t met him personally,
My father has.
It’s been 17 years since that day.
17 years and 25 days.
17 years and I am still grappling with the lasting effects of Death’s visit.
6 Women Killed. 6 Women of Asian Descent. Atlanta. Massage Spas. 6 Murdered-
It’s too much for my body to process.
I know the grief of living while our loved ones pass.
Feeling the weight and burden of having to live out every moment without them.
Having to say goodbye without ever saying goodbye.
The pain, the trauma, the anger.
It’s too much.
It’s too close.
My mother, with her big warm eyes and enveloping hugs.
My two sisters with their hair black as night and skin as bright as the sand on the beach.
Our eyes turned upwards towards the sky like sunflowers reaching out for the sun.
6 women like us. 4 of us women like them.
- Emily Kim
TW: Death, Trauma, Domestic and White Terrorism, Mass Shooting.
“Women Like Us” is a sorrowful and gut wrenching response to the racially motivated mass shooting in Atlanta that resulted in 8 people murdered, 6 of whom were Asian. In this poem, Emily explores the extremely personal impact of this news in connection to her trauma of losing her father as a child and her identity as an Asian American woman.
Biography:
Emily is a Korean-American who is passionate about making others feel like they're enough, that they're seen, heard, and feel validated simply as they are! She hopes to do that through her everyday interactions with others and through her pursuit of voice acting.
Cover Photo Source: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/atlanta-shooting-asian-american-violence