​Asian Boys Who Look Like Swans

By Olivia Van Nguyen

Because chink eyes look like the
Masquerades swans wear
And conversation on the train
Washes over waterproof hair
Sea foam rolls behind anh trai
The boy has skin like
Beach shores rendered in acrylics
Downward swooping rosebud nose
That’s round like tumbled stone
Nostrils like two black hạt hướng dương
Point to me, then sweep away.
Anh trai is sleek like graphite poems
Trailing down the margins
Of white college books.

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Olivia Van Nguyen (they/them) is a Vietnamese-Canadian writer from Northeast Calgary, AB. They are a student at the University of Calgary where they study English and Psychology. They were awarded the Kathleen and Russell Lane Award for their creative work in university. Van Nguyen is not a drag queen, but everyone says they should be, so they guess they just have that vibe. They can be found on instagram: @reeling_and_writhing