You want me to tell you where I am from,
When I don’t even know myself
I am two cultures blended into one,
And I still haven’t figured out what that makes me

I am from the golden empire
Which is now nothing but a tarnished folklore
I am from exquisite carpets and brilliant poets
Not dingy turbans and the Al Qaeda war

I am from stuttering BMW’s and the retched call to prayer
From “good thoughts, good words, and good deeds” that are burned within our roots
From families imprisoned under a government their sons wasted their lives for
I am from the pungent smell of a home-cooked meal and a hookah in the garage

I am from the fresh land of opportunity cushioned under a democracy of red and blue
From white girls in their uggs, lululemons, juicy, and vans socks with an iPhone too
From suicide awareness and sex ed starting at a mere twelve years old
I am from train-wreck celebrities in n’ out of rehab faster than fast food

I am from precious oil reserves and dripping oily hamburgers
From a country where marriage is arranged like an auction for your daughter
From a country where not everyone has the right to marry who they love
So I maybe these countries aren’t so different after all