The life I though I knew

In the midst of a sunny afternoon 

Playing with dolls, and my favorite cousin 

Windows of a pink room wide open

Acting out a life I thought I knew.

 

All of the sudden we hear 

What appears to be the locks we could never reach

Twisting around, in the living room.

 

Mom walks in my pink room, by her side a tall man

She says "Honey, put away your dolls;

I'd like you to meet Dan".

 

Why is mom speaking English?

Where did she find this guy?

Is she going crazy?  It has only been four years!

And why is he so white?

 

As soon as lunch starts, I realize

He doesn't know a word of Portuguese

That's why he is so shy

 

Two years go by

We have been to his house

Disney was fun, but in Texas I thrive

I meet all of his neighbors

We have lots of fun

But on that last night, I do nothing but cry

 

Mom said we were leaving Brazil

and all of my friends

My dad included

All because of that man

 

My dad denies it all

My mom yells

They don't agree on anything

They're better away from each other, after all

 

I cry every night, knowing the day is closer to come

The day my life changes 

And I call myself American

 

A month later, I'm back at his house

He played games with me

We watched movies in the basement

We cooked American meals 

We named birds

We hugged mom

 

I was happy

No more worrying about eating the last meal

Because now we had enough;

For the whole week

 

I learned to speak English

I learned how to take care of myself

I learned a lot about other people

I learned what I didn't know existed

 

Ah, what if I acted out my new life again, in that pink room?

My cousin would've called me crazy; 

We would have laughed

Things like that

They never happen here 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

Additional Resources

Get AI Feedback on your poem

Interested in feedback on your poem? Try our AI Feedback tool.
 

 

If You Need Support

If you ever need help or support, we trust CrisisTextline.org for people dealing with depression. Text HOME to 741741