Where I Am From inspired by George Ella Lyon

I am from the pestle and motar, from Lawry's seasoning and Maggi cubes

I am from the smell of mothballs and sound of crackling candle wicks.

I am from the sunflower, the leaf of fresh picked mint

I am from midnight masses and ignorance, from Etienne and Bordes and Pierre

I am from the gossips and the spiteful.

From big boys don't cry and be a man.

I am from a mixture of African traditions lost in the mystery of Catholicism.

I'm from the crossroads of Queens and Haiti, griot avec du riz collee

From the crowds lost in translation , the drunks who get stones thrown at them, and the Schizoprenic uncle.

I am from a torn album underneath my former bed, so big and filled with memories I chose to leave behind.