Mátulain: Miao?
“M-I-A-O,” I tell baristas. “Like a cat.”
Mátulain is not just a series focusing on my poetry—instead, it follows my continuing love story with the art. Full disclosure: This is something I wrote on April 3, 2020.
Miao?
“M-I-A-O,” I tell baristas. “Like a cat.” There is always a spark of realization in their eyes when I add that last detail. The nickname is a gift to myself. I called myself like a kitten would its mother, because I kept on running into various katukayo. I was tired of being called “Mia—yung mataba” or “Mia—yung kapatid/anak/apo ni—“ I am more than my body type. I am more than my family members. I am more than the name I was given. These days, I am best known by my birth name. It’s easier in the U.S. to be an anonymous Maria. But when I want to be called by my real name, it’s as easy as getting a cup of coffee.
Photo by Aleksandr Gusev on Unsplash
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