Is the absence of a paperand the presence of a person.
A person with pages and pagesdocumenting her movements
is a convict.Or undocumented.
Who is made to say, My name is.Who is made to say, I am the child of.
Immigration wants to know the namesof your parents. The names of their parents.
A people with lineage can still be scattered.Is the son of Abraham. Is the son of Isaac. Is the son of Jacob.
People who do not know about documentsdo not need them.
They have never needed them.A person without documents
is the one who must bear them aloft.They will set her hand on fire.
It takes place in the bathroomof a border patrol station.
Kingsville, Texas.All at once, she needs to drink, piss, crap.
Her period comes. The agent says,No you can’t go to your mother.
Illegal immigration began with a law.It ends with a new law.
She may not step onto a cattle car.She may die on foot. In the fields.
In labor. In custody.You know what is happening.
She speaks. She is speaking.My name is. I am the child of.
See if that works.
Esther Lin was born in Brazil and spent 21 years as an undocumented alien in the U.S. She is the author of Cold Thief Place, which was longlisted for the National Book Award. She is co-organizer of Undocupoets.
