Orphan Bachelors
by Michael Doyle

Self-expression has become democratized
In an era where everyone is traumatized
The Asian experience is best understood
By taking in the feelings, both bad and good

However minor these seem in their unfolding
There's nothing said that requires scolding
It needs a historical legacy of infinite marginalization
And does require in-depth truths to be told through analyzation

The trauma of exclusion passes down generations
Requiring a transparent sort of conversation
It's the burden of a painful sort of inheritance
Where balanced devotion lives in the passed-through experience

A policy of deliberate exclusion was a tragedy
That still inflicts damage on Chinese families
Telling the truth right is a storyteller's delusion
It's one mired in the questions and then confusion

It may well be that it is an impossible task
Still, truth-telling is always worth that ask
Paper Sons came to America seeking its promise
The old sojourners suffered to find their purpose

Exclusion is the bloodless crime, well-worn
By these four generations who lived as if unborn
Reverberating as it does the limits of inclusion
In which conflicting American ideals are an intrusion

Orphan bachelors knew loneliness and alienation
As they sought after dreams and built this nation
It was a Chinese-American song of lasting sorrow
As these men gave their all for their tomorrows

Eyes look back to the old country for their inspiration
Still, each step taken was taken in dedication
As they took in the hard facts clothed in lore
And fought to make a place that might offer more

Arguments and resentment do not lead to real assimilation
However much this story is sewn into the fabric of this nation
The aches and dramas in tension lend the special quality
That is too often part of the story of American family

The lives of which are often fraught with adversity
And would not be complete without overcoming difficulty
The language of which reveals identity in its formation
It's the immigrant's song to be stuck between generations

(c) September 29, 2023   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved