Daughter-in-Law

I will be exemplary, I swear I will

make your mother happy. The prejudiced

society will watch over me with jealousy for she

will love my morning hair and my gait as I

walk down the stairs, embracing her good morning

as she sings daughter, what a shiny ring.

And I will be the daughter of someone

new. I will hang my ego on the shelf loving you

never at her expense; guarding her greatest treasures:

pagan jewelries and a single sapphire.

I will spend my days asleep by her feet silly-

sallying mother, I wish to call you one forever.

Tamara was born and raised in small town in Indonesia. She has been writing since her preteen years and has several pieces of her works selected for publication, including for a poem contest organized by the ASEAN. Her writings are mostly derived from her personal experiences; she often writes about what it is like to be queer among a heteronormative society. When she's not writing, Tamara works full-time in a nonprofit focusing on children.