For students like us,
motivation doesn’t come
on a platter of gold.
It often comes with nightmares,
and a subtle threat:
“you will lose your funding.”
Back home, a poor grade
would only bring you disappointment.
Here, it can mean bye-bye to your status,
your stipend, your scholarship,
your visa, your right to remain.
For students like us,
assignments carry more than points.
Inside them are borders, paperwork,
DHS calling, form I-20 smirking,
and the weight of a family’s hope.
On days my motivation goes on sabbatical,
I have to remind myself that I didn’t cross an ocean,
just to wake up one morning and hear
“Yaba, Yaba, Yaba… enter with your change o!”
Home will not ask
how hard I tried,
only what I brought back.