Where I’m from,*
               unlike what Willie Perdomo says,
                        she might know
                                   where I was from.

Where I’m from,
                we love the breath of whispers.
                         My mom would sing and rhyme
                                   in the ears of my little sisters.

                She would hum and mumble,
                         my dad would whistle,
                                   they would never grumble
                                             until we fall asleep.

Where I’m from,
               we greet with
                          "guten morgen"
                                     to everyone in the breakfast’s table,
               and we smile and say,
                          "takk for maten"
                                     for those who serve the food.

Where I’m from,
            we play with colors for Holi,
                       we fast Ramadan,
                                  we celebrate Christmas.

Where I’m from,
                 we wish you Happy birthday
                               in more than 90 languages,
                                        and these are the advantages;
                              we make you a strawberry cake,
                         we even make you a card,
      but we might throw you in a lake,
or prank you very hard.

Where I’m from,
          we say,
                 “Ni hao ma?”
                           For the person living next door,
when we leave
          we say,
                “hasta luego mi amor.”

Where I’m from,
                we love the breath of whispers,
          she whispers,
                         “habibi, waheshtini.”
          I reply,
                         "I missed you more,"
          and add
                         “Ma armastan sind.”

Where I’m from,
           the smell of your kisses
                      plays with my senses
               so,
                      I could hear your hair,
                   I could taste your beauty,
                I could see your wintry smell
               and I could touch the echo of
                               I love you
              spelled out from your mouth.