Kimiko Hahn
Two Poems
The Child's Safe, a zuihitsu
three tiny candy canes from the Christmas stocking
seven teeny tiny safety pins and one clothespin
a blue jay feather, the parakeet's pin feather, a plastic feather
mood ring, baby trolls, and a Cockamamie of a troll—all from a
gumball machine
very tiny glass pelican
doll-size Milwaukee Journal from Grandpa
Mother's sample Chanel No. 5 that she gave to me
Mother's bisque Kewpie doll—that she doesn't know I have
a letter on blue tissue from Grandma that I can't read because she
writes in kana
A long piece of silk cut from Mother's dress when she was hemming.
She promises to sew doll clothes for me when Daddy's in
Chicago. She told me it's mauve and I think of her name and
I would like a mauve dress, too. The same as hers. Which is
what Auntie Makiko and Gracie have. The baby is too little for a
mauve dress.
a rabbit foot—to keep forever safe
binoculars for a charm bracelet
the Valentine from Skipper that Dad teased me about which is why
it's locked up
a wishbone from Barb
The Woman's Cabinet of Curiosities, a zuihitsu
A pewter wishbone
A needle carved from whalebone, a tortoise shell bracelet from
Nicaragua, a purse made from crocodile—keep those or throw
out—?
Bracelet with plastic evil-eye beads from Assisi
Risqué cartes de visite: nude woman reading a book
The puppy's baby tooth and from our backyard: a dragonfly, cicada,
three red feathers
Bira-bira ornament from Auntie Kimie
A wisp of dark hair tied with pink ribbon and the younger one's
blond strands tied with pink—how tiny they were, though large
in my body—
Occupied Japan figurine of a Chinese girl holding a lute—from my
girls
Dad's jackknife (Did Dad use that knife to slice mango at
Grandma's?) (Did he get it in the Navy?) (Did his father give it
to him?)
Three fish hooks
A pinkie-size glass snail. A matchbook-size dictionary. A diaper pin.
A Menehune carved from wood.
A dried rose, white, from my first wedding—from my hair
The Valentine I made for Mother when I was in grade school
A knife from Dad