I’m the quiet voice of youths
told to grow independent
far too early.
The hushed in a loud, bustling room,
filled with those who are considered the closest,
yet also the farthest away.

The quiet acceptance of harsh realities,
almost too complex for a child to understand.
The obsessive saving of funds
to gain a shred of normalcy,
to align with the ideals of family life -
vacations, and any and all excessive possessions.

A small, interconnected farmer’s town,
proud with community and family values,
filled with injustices and discrimination
plaguing the minds of the young and old.

Constant moving, no place to settle and grow,
left to adapt and to hope to flourish on one’s own
Learning to love and heal
with a disconnect from home.
Blood is not thicker than water.