Image by Daniel Sunkari via Midjourney
by Michael Stalcup
after Amy Chua
An accent is a sign of bravery,
of journey, celebrated or unsung—
a mark of freedom from the slavery
of thinking in a single siloed tongue.
Beneath the broken words and hesitations
are eloquence, rich humor unexpressed.
How easily the wisdom of the nations
slips past us in its unassuming dress.
Micheal Stalcup is a Thai American poet, born in California and currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. His poetry has been published in several magazines, including Sojourners, Commonweal, Dappled Things, First Things, and Ekstasis Magazine; "Accent" was first published in Ricepaper Magazine. You can find more of his work at www.michaelstalcup.com.