A Vietnamese American man writes a poem after learning about a hate crime that happened in Dorcester, during which a Vietnamese American woman was murdered. The poem is somewhat autobiographical, projecting himself into his own speaker. As such, he finds that the murdered woman depicted in the poem is reminiscent of his mother. He writes the poem at his girlfriend Leah's—who has a possessive hold over him, making him wear a leash and collar—and it becomes decently viral upon publication.

Soon enough, the Vietnamese American man gets caught up in everyone's opinions about the poem. Some ask him to read it aloud in public. Others simply ask him if he's okay. Many are intent on capitalizing on the poem's success, either to sell a workshop or to promote a demonstration. Leah is conflicted about the poem. While she likes it, she also finds it strange and uncomfortable because of the narrator's active relationship to his mother, which the Vietnamese American man doesn't have.

Later at work, the Vietnamese American man decides to read his poem at the upcoming protest at the Garden. He goes to the Garden and watches the rest of the demonstration unfold. As he watches, he remembers that his absent relationship to his mother has to do with a lie that she made up regarding their shared lineage. While his mother claimed that her family consisted of refugees who fled from the Vietnam War, he eventually found a photograph depicting his mother and other relatives on the tarmac of a French airport years after the Vietnam War ended. As a result, he talked to his mother less and less over time, eventually falling out of touch with her. He then told Leah about it all, which felt, to him, like a weight being taken off of his shoulders.

Struck by the weight of his mother's lie, the Vietnamese American man backs down from reading his poem, instead leaving the Garden to take the Boston red line back home to Leah. In their kitchen, he finds that he glue trap he set for mice had caught one. He takes the glue trap, with a mouse caught in it, outside, and as he does, he contemplates the poem he could write for it, though he decides not to.