When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities

In this ferocious and tender debut, Chen Chen investigates inherited forms of love and family—the strained relationship between a mother and son, the cost of necessary goodbyes—all from Asian American, immigrant, and queer perspectives. Holding all accountable, this collection fully embraces the loss, grief, and abundant joy that come with charting one’s own path in identity, life, and love.

In the Hospital

My mother was in the hospital everyone wanted to be my friend.

But I was busy making a list: good dog, bad citizen, short

skeleton, tall mocha. Typical Tuesday.

My mother was in the hospital no one wanted to be her friend.

Everyone wanted to be soft cooing sympathies. Very reasonable

pigeons. No one had the time our solution to it

was to buy shinier watches. We were enamored with

what our wrists could declare. My mother was in the hospital

I didn’t want to be her friend. Typical son. Tall latte, short tale,

bad plot, great wifi in the atypical café. My mother was in the hospital

she didn’t want to be her friend. She wanted to be the family

grocery list. Low-fat yogurt, firm tofu. She didn’t trust my father

to be it. You always forget something, she said, even when

I do the list for you. Even then.