Animals: “In Memory, We Are Just Animals” by Chanlee Luu
In Memory, We Are Just Animals
I
The first rule of Women’s Self Defense class:
Is to highly recommend it to everybody you know.
I am small and scrawny, but I can fuck
People up if they ever test me!
In truth, my eyes mist at movies;
Animation all around me.
Mem Gym memories: early morning routine—
Taking off layers from the cold, sanitizing mats.
A brisk walk on a warm, sunny day,
Relaxed stretches before the adrenaline sets in.
The world in whimsical watercolor,
And I am a penciled-in protagonist.
I don’t know kung fu, taekwondo, jiu-jitsu,
Or any other martial arts, but my name is Jackie + Bruce.
My name is a Pokémon, the ultimate fighting machine.
My name is a sword, a price to bring honor home:
Palm strikes—a tiger paw to a steady glove,
Low kicks—crane-like balance to the balls,
Viper-like speed to run and evade after the strike,
And a monkey-like strength to pierce the air.
With a call; no need to be pretty, just accurate and precise.
Like the mantis. I pray I never have to use these moves.
II
When I am frustrated, bored, or just want to cut through the noise,
I pretend I am a wolf, howling at the moon: a Ghibli hero.
When I am excited (a rare move), I squeal
Like a pig, going to the market for its last event.
When I want to scare my cousin, I roar and bark with poise.
I’m an elder cat, Pussy of the Jungle, or just a dog, a zero.
When I am sleepy or just want a meal,
I tend to squawk like a hawk with dissent.
I am a gentle creature, with a chirping voice and purpose.
But sometimes I am cruel, my brows furrowed
And I cut others with just a look, blue steel
Like Howl. His bird grand, feathers acrylic torment.
All humans do is assemble war, destroys
The natural world; spirited away is Chihiro—
Discovers that seeing is a type of power to heal.
That communication is a red turtle, a present
Protected by hardness; that myth is memory, a voice
Calling us home and whooshing off autogiros
And broomsticks into strange fields and feels.
Sometimes, we are descendants of menace.
If else, humane animals.
About Chanlee Luu
Chanlee Luu is a Vietnamese-Chinese American writer from southern Virginia. She received her MFA in creative writing from Hollins University and a BS in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia. She writes about identity, pop culture, science, politics, and everything in between. She can be found on Twitter @ChanleeLuu, and her work can be found in Snowflake Magazine, the gamut mag, Cutbow Quarterly, Tint Journal, and The Offing, among others.
