I am from the soft swish of my Tibetan puppy’s tail,
My loving mother’s warm embrace, my butterball brother’s adoring coo,
My caring father’s patient assistance, my admiring brother’s helping hand,
I am from my purely Persian heritage,
That strangely resembles the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding,
The delectable, cultured food that my grandparents make,
The succulent meats, the luscious, roasted tomatoes,
And the melt-in-your mouth aroma
That will forever be my sanctuary.
Those long lasting celebrations that go on till dawn.
I am from the bareback horses that my father escaped on,
Starry nights where the stars are your map on the endless desert plains
The voices of those who were too weak and had to be left behind,
As the wind runs its fingers through your hair, and the prickling feeling
that you’re being deceitfully pursued,
The lifesaving plane that my endangered mother was whisked away on,
Without the knowledge of what to do or where to go next,
Scarred souls and shrieking populace, a feeling of confusion, sadness, and despair,
Running away from all you’ve ever believed in,
For life or death reasons, be it recruited to war, or a family prejudice.
I am from those people, that fell before I rose, leaf fall from the family tree.