2008
Father died at his bike business. Buried on his own Congolese land. Mother was at the fish market. Son had already won the immigration lottery. He packed a backpack of faux denim. “Nous n'avons pas d’argent.” The no-trained-dogs airport across the Arabic skyline is decorated with white Algerian skinned passports. Son slept 22 hours for only 3 years of American air. 30 years old and he still had his father’s clothes on his back. His first Christmas in America: Cold rotisserie chicken, deodorant sticks and lemongrass.
Rosine Selemani is a Congolese American writer pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing with a minor in editing & publishing at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Her poetry can be found in Isele Magazine. Selemani explores her African identity through her American upbringing. Her current work in progress is a poem, short story, and essay titled “Nehi.”