Where Im From

Nataline Suaris

I am from bangles,
from honor-based custom.
I am from tangles
and those who say Vande Mataram.
I am from smiles and pride,
a place where a cross never has to hide.
I am from threads and giving
as each stitch makes a living.

I am from tailors and cooks.

I m from all the talk of books.
I am from wells and springs
where people leave troubles and gain new things.
I am from chili powder on corn
where bread is not simply cut but torn.
I am from spices and banana leaves
as coconuts just come from backyard trees.

Lines drying clothes heating in the sun;

towels wiping dishes are as they are done.
Lost family, precious memories and old pictures,
a bond as sweet as any sugar mixture.
I am a new apple on an ancient tree,
a lineage that found what they could be.