The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily 1404: Before Lunar New Year, Our Mothers Go Missing by Uyen Phuong Dang
Nov 26, 2025
A thought-provoking poem delves into the nostalgic nuances of motherhood and memory. It reflects on the impact of the Lunar New Year, evoking themes of loss and generational connections. The host contemplates what children remember about their mothers, raising questions about identity and legacy. Rich imagery captures a sense of home and longing, illustrating the silent strength of mothers waiting for their children's return. This exploration of intimate relationships through poetry invites listeners to connect deeply with their own experiences.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Seeing Mothers With Fresh Eyes
- Maggie Smith reflects that children often can't see their mothers fully until they live apart and gain perspective.
- Separation reveals mothers as people with their own desires, regrets, and anxieties.
Domestic Skills As Inherited Memory
- Uyen Phuong Dang's poem lists learned domestic skills as a record of maternal transmission across generations.
- These chores and rituals become carriers of memory, identity, and love.
Housework As Luminous Ritual
- The poem connects repetitive household work to spiritual and bodily presence, making labor luminous and sacred.
- Cleaning and tending become a way mothers mark existence and transmit resilience.