Chen-ou Liu's Translation Project: First English-Chinese Haiku and Tanka Blog

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Still in the Picture

pose for the photo:
me flanked by my pregnant wife
and mother-in-law

My new sister-in-law, Mary, a pink-haired teenager, remarks in a deadpan tone, "The arrangement is wrong. What if my sister and brother-in-law get divorced?" An awkward silence descends upon our two families. “I think it would be better if he stands to the side, in case he needs to be airbrushed out." Everyone laughs drowning out her next question.