|
a space for youth writing on mental health & identity
|
|
a space for youth writing on mental health & identity
|
![]() mother’s cooking never quite matches the original no imported spice cool new recipe or branded batter will compare to mother’s mother that citrusy odor wafts up my nose
tickles my nostrils curls my toes but in my eyes i’m cinderella dressed up for one night and when the clock strikes 12 grandma’s plate is dragged away along with this illusion and mother’s is in its place i’m multicultural, a word that means ultimately removed. disconnected through flippant phone calls misconstrued. mother and father speak 5 languages each but we only speak one. i’ve bitter resentment racked with regret at an error that isn’t my own fault yet it permeates my illusion of existence as i navigate the world a child of imposters enwrapped in a flag of red white and blue in a country called half a home im left to roam in a wandering state alone i wish i was able to lay my grandpa down to rest his eulogy feels composed of untruth i wish i was able to pass my cultural test dispose of english roots formed in youth i’m multicultural, a word that means ultimately detached isolated by miles of ocean and land my blood is mismatched mother tries her best i’ll give her that but i’m finding little solace in the fact i’m shifting my weight on a balance beam of insecurity ultimately i’m guilty of being untrue cultural dysmorphia is a wildfire of blue magnified my mirage is incandescent i’m turning a page hoping for semblance of unity between my homeland and this half a home yet skimming through the first line i’m reminded no cinderella fairytale can form sycophant security dear fairy godmother allow me two wishes i wish to enjoy warm citrusy delicacies from mother’s mother for eternities i wish i didn’t need a translator to say “asante, nakupenda, nahisi kama mgeni mikononi mwako” thank you, i love you, i feel like a stranger in your arms Comments are closed.
|
Categories
All
* = Editors' Choice work
Unless otherwise noted, all pictures used are open-source images in the public domain. Archives
November 2023
|