Little Saigon by David st John

The poem is about two sisters. After their father’s death they planned to move away from bad place with murders. At night mother handed the suitcase. She wants to go to away with her girls to somewhere with boat. ‘At the horizon, towards some place of promises as distant. As any new world’’. But the boat man did push mother in different boat because the boat of two sisters was full, so mother could not join. Ngoc Be was already afraid for Jack Pirate. During boat trip Ngog Be and Mai Chi didn’t get much foods and water. They were starving until Jack Pirate suggested them something. Something terrible those two girls really don’t want to do it. When they arrived America, they are waiting for their mother so long. Later they got hear from their aunt Kahnh about her mother. She told them their mother was over boarding during boattrip and died. This poem is sad because before they were separate, their mother tried to tell Mai Chi and Ngog Be that she would be okay when she gets to see them again. It’s not happened.  It did hurt very much if you get hear that one of your parents is dead.

As the peacock slowly turned to face me, just the two of us alone, & as it spread the fan Of its tail I could see each elegant pale feather quietly catch flame. Each feather burning like the sails of the paper boats

Leaving home, Little Saigon D. St John, pg 168

Last week, one night I stayed so long upstairs painting that Mai Chi was sent up to bring me sown for supper. I have been working all day on my new secret painting, but I showed it to Mai Chi. it was of Mother walking in old Saigon, the beautiful streets of our childhood & beside her.. The white peacock, its tails spread like a snow storm like a snow storm along the whole of the background horizon.

Leaving home, little Saigon D. st John pg 178

Two cities are related to each other. First cite is from the beginning and last is in the last page. Ngog Be has dreamed about peacock before they went away from their neighborhood. Her dream has sign for the future. I think she never has imaged that she already could know that her mother will dead before they are separated.