It Catches me off guard, you know,
hearing a song in my home? Native? Language
Is it even mine to claim?
My ears pick up on the background instruments,
Sounds unlike those I am constantly exposed to.
You see, I mourn that loss.
I can’t help but imagine what could have been,
The person I would be,
The skills that would have been mine today.
Really, maybe the dance gene didn’t skip me,
I just happened to be born and raised somewhere where I could not be taught these songs and dances at length.
And though I am I’m saddened,
It’s not all milk and honey there;
There are reasons I’m here today.
See, no one leaves a place where they are satisfied and content without motivation.
People don’t willingly take to living among strangers,
People who give them looks until they prove themselves worthy.
It’s not with joy that parents give their kids names that will be easy to pronounce,
just for those who they live among.
Indeed I would lie if I said I wasn’t offered a great deal,
Given opportunities, intangible to others.
So, I will wear this hat proudly,
Stand tall and have their back,
Those who stayed.
There is still time to learn and embrace that identity,
And in turn, I will show them what could be,
How to coexist in this space.
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
