‘3664 Kilometers Spread Thin’ 

By Kai Dranchak

​

 

I’m split in two

Iš Lietuvos į Ameriką  

One is Trader Joe’s and tailgates 

The other farmlands and flower crowns 

One is birthday cards in the mail and hopscotch drawn in sidewalk chalk 

One is endless teas and conversation spoken in a language of poetry lost to my ears…

...kodėl nesuprantu lietuviškai  

One is sprawling yards and tight knit communities 

The other, matchbox apartments with gossip spread like wildfire 

Two halves of myself 

Vienas Amerikaitis, kitas Lietuvaitis  

Two halves of my family 

Vienas Amerikiečių, kitas Lietuvaičių  

7309 kilometers spread apart  

Now I’m here  

3664 kilometers from a place I recognize less with every headline 

3664 kilometers from ancient wounds that echo in my chest 

It feels like fate that I should find myself here 

At the halfway point 

In the city my Grandmother chased long forgotten family 

I chase long forgotten dreams 

Before not just distant cousins were distant memories for her 

Where maybe she too felt split in two  

It feels like fate, that I should fall for a boy like you 

In a place like this 

At the halfway point 

But I don’t think I believe in fate anymore.