Tony and/or Tonee by Nguyen Minh Tri | One Poem Only
One Poem Only is a daily ritual: one poem, center stage, just for now.
Tony and/or Tonee
Nguyen Minh Tri
The "y" is a hook, a barb in the ground,
A heavy-set anchor, a masculine sound.
It carries the dust of the fathers and sons,
My father and his son.
The weight of the "Tony" who follows/ who runs,
A name like a suit that is tailored too tight,
Designed for the sun, yet afraid of the light.
To them, it’s a letter/ to me, it’s a wall,
A clanking vibration that makes me feel small.
But look at the "e"s: how they mirror, how they gleam
A twin of silver, the space in between.
Tonee is a lift, a soft-rising key,
The "ee" is the breath of the person.
It isn’t a label, it isn’t a chore,
It’s the clicking of locks and the opening door.
How do I tell them the "y" is a ghost?
A version of me that I’ve long demoted.
How do I tell them the "e" is the spark,
The fun and the fire who glow in the dark?
It’s not just a spelling, a quirk, or a claim,
It’s the pulse in my throat.
It’s my name.
It’s my name.
More from Nguyen Minh Tri ↓
- @tonywith2e on Instagram
- @tonywith2e on Substack
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