I Am From
By Sandhya Nankani

I am from the hands of my mother
Tough and tender
Always true

I am from the feet of my father
Reader and writer
Traveler and adventurer too

I am from walking and flying
Ghana and India and New York
Morocco somewhere in the middle
No land ever a second fiddle

I am from the lap of displacement
A country carved in two
Grandparents who sailed on turbulent seas
Leaving cracked footpaths, rickshaws and garam masala
For red bush country, Tro-Tros, and cassava

I am from wandering seekers
Finders of gold, stories and land
Sufi, Bapuji, and Gitanjali
Poet, teacher, and businessman

I am from do your duty
And always speak the truth
Fight without blood
Study hard
And don't drag our name through the mud

I am from a family of cooks
Wielders of stainless steel pots and pans
Rolling pins that crush nuts and saffron
And wrinkled hands that treat dough like satin

I am from old movie houses
Floors littered with roasted peanuts and plantain
Mirages of black and white
That reel with Rocky and Kung Fu
Top Gun and Bollywood too.

I am from
Yellow, orange, green
Red, white and blue
Homes in many places
Always a new place to go.

© Sandhya Nankani 2006