Bless the 賓妹
by Narisma
Bless the 賓妹
Who bends her breasts over the bathroom sink
And ruffles her rampage of curls.
Ang haba ng buhok mo.1 Have some shame,
For God’s sake. Second mother, 狐狸精2.
First our babies, now our men?
Keep your tongue to yourself, no sharp objects
Allowed near our beloved. We found you
This morning in bed, reeking of bleach and ammonia.
Dying flesh with perfectly manicured nails.
Bless the 賓妹 whose hands are red packets,
Lotioned skin peeling into leaves of gold.3
Off to Western Union you go.
Don’t forget to purchase groceries on the way back,
Collect all your receipts as usual.
Bless the 賓妹 who’s been ordered to the hospital,
For who knows how many curses litter your skin?
It’s all in the handbook,4 the doctor explains,
Moments before plunging his glove into your pekpek5.
Later that night, you lay naked on the floor,
A bottle of vinegar between your thighs,
Waiting for your daughter to pick up the phone.
Bless the 賓妹 whose sisters are pollution,
Whose voices are banned wherever flowers bloom.6
Hayop ka.7 Don’t bother singing hymns here.
Your God is too far from home.
⸺
This poem contains references to [“Cultural Representation and Social Practice: Dealing with Filipino Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong Families”](https://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/en/item/cuhk-322402 "Title") by Cherry Law Yuk-fung: https://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/en/item/cuhk-322402. Title *Bun mui* 賓妹 (“Filipino girl”) is a Cantonese term used in Hong Kong to refer to domestic workers from the Philippines. It derives in part from *mui zai* 妹仔 (“servant”). 1 Tagalog for “Your hair is so long,” an idiom for attractive women with lots of suitors. 2 *Wu lei zing* 狐狸精 (mythological “fox spirit”); an idiom for a seductress or vixen (a common stereotype of Filipina maids). 3 Imelda Cacatian and Achacoso Cabaneros were Filipino maids in Hong Kong who were burned by their respective employers using a hot iron. 4 According to Law Yuk-fung, *Gaau fei jung zou gaa mou*《敎菲傭做家務》(“Teach your Filipino maid to do housework”) was an actual handbook that included the recommendation to test domestic workers for sexually transmitted diseases. 5 Tagalog profanity meaning “vagina”. 6 According to Law Yuk-fung, Filipina maids were banned at one point from various public venues, including the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, where they would often gather to sing hymns. 7 Tagalog for “You animal,” often used as an insult.Narisma is a writer and artist from the Philippines. His work has appeared or is forthcoming from Honey Literary, The Margins, The Spotlong Review, and Gordon Square Review, among others. He currently lives on Lenape land in Brooklyn, New York, where he dabbles in radio production and filmmaking. Find him online at @_narisma_.