I am from

I am from Jamaica

I am from scorching heat and refreshing rivers coupling scenic beaches

From gated well-manicured homes against the zinc roof stripping tenement yards

From beach days paired with soaking wet rivers and comforting crowded markets filled with laughter that echoes throughout the streets

A total escape from this life of stark dichotomies, I shall never truly know the poverty and the opulence, the culture and the pride. The rich history and yet the constant struggle… One melting pot of unique experiences

All home sweet home just the same

I am from sweet mango trees whose juices drip down your chin

From succulent meat filled patties whose insides overfill your mouth

From decadent bun and cheese whose flavor coats every taste bud on your tongue

All home sweet home just the same

From a blessed life only God could give me

I am from boom box reggae music played by the shop keepers and roadside entrepreneurs

I am from the silent bustle of uptown lawyers and accountants extraordinaire

From beggars and lawyers  

From con artists and teachers, our true nation builders

From a country fighting back against each other

A gain in knowledge derived from education

I am from Canada

From power derived from study

From respect derived from drive

I am from moves that would change my life

From communities that are all I’ve ever known

Encompassed in the safety of living in a first-world country

I am from the biting winters in Toronto sending a chilling reminder of Jamaican sunshine past

From warm summer bike rides with my family laughing at the memory of the cool ice under my skates

From crisp fall leaves crunching under my boots mimicking the snow crushed under the grooves of my winter gear

From the soothing allure of fall followed by the spell of Canadian summers filled with bike rides and visits from my Jamaican grandma laden with sweets and goodies from my island past

A change in the person I will never meet

I am from America

From American customs I soon conformed to

From brand names I quickly learned

From trends I forcibly studied

I am from everywhere

I am a cultivation of cultures that some can only dream of tasting

All home sweet home just the same