New York

I am from the bodega

From strawberry kiwi snapple  and chopped cheese with fries

I am from the _cold, loud

Dirty,  wild, yet lit projects of NYC   , the cooking from food of all cultures fills the air , along with the stench of piss and marijuana in the elevators and halls

I am from _the big  trees in central park , the bright red roses in the chinese man shop, the coconut oil from the beauty supply store.

____the clear smooth coconut creme i rub in my hands like lotion  that leave my hair soft and fragrant like a pina colada_I’m from hand me down recipes  , hand me down jewlery and __crazy loud puerto ricans that blast old salsa music at 7am on  a saturday morning

From Yaritza Martinez and _Fernando Coley

I’m from the _big family dinner gatherings at abuelas housen and __drunk arguments  among titis and tios about who was the flyest back in the day

From _deja eso!  And you want pow pow ?I’m from being baptised catholic to simply believing and praying to god without having to claim one just religion  

I’m from _brooklyn  my mothers PR born & brooklyn raised  my fathers from queens, my grandmas brooklyn born & raised in PR  my grandpa was from

PR rip.  

pernil ,rice & beans From the time my mother pierced her nose at 15 behind her mothers back and got _chewed out by my grandmother

The big brother who took our hearts and stomped on them when he dropped out his 2nd year in high school & chose the streets over his loving mother and little sister  only to be on the phone with those same 2 people 2 years later asking for money and help to get him out the jam, something the heartless streets would never do for him. A jam  that he could have avoided , had he stayed with his family in the room that is in the house that is in the projects which is the building with pissy elevators and halls that has the most love, support, and family then most 2 story homes in your local suburban neighborhood. I am from blood being thicker but never treating water like it is less important than blood. I am from love.