A poem dedicated to my hometown of Miami, Florida.
When people see my skin
My combination of features
They say, ‘What are you?’
‘Where are you from?’
All confused and interested
I tell them what they want to hear
But I wish I could say
That I am from windy shores
On a Miami beach at nighttime
I am from green lizards
On the bedroom walls
Oranges on the front lawn
And coconuts in the trees
I am from skies
Pockmarked and heavy with stars
I am from warm sun
And cold water waves
I am from a place
Where the air conditioning stays on all year
I am from fingers
Sticky with ice cream and sprinkles
From the parlor we would go to on Saturday nights
I am from palm trees and sapphire seas
From weekend trips to the Everglades
On bicycles
Rusty and chipped from the rain
I am from the sunny park in Little Havana
Overflowing with old men playing dominoes
And I am from my first steps
At the Fruit and Spice park
Where I’m from
Fruit is free
And my Aunt Bemba
Teaches me my first words in Spanish
Great! I teared up at the lizards, just started to recover when I hit Aunt Bemba. Who knows why? Just great writing, I guess. –Tom