Where I am From

By Sofia Lopez

I am from the south, from conaproles products and Sunday family dinner,

I am from the frosty house in winter,

And form the ardent house in summer,

From the neighborhoods shop,

And from an unknown area

I am from the lemon tree in my grandparent’s backyard,

From the tall plant that’s impossible to reach without daddy’s help

I am from Saturday parties at my place,

From everyday fights with my lousy cousin,

From the Alvarez family tree,

From Delmiro and Clarisa’s branch,

From the strangest family in the world,

But from the coolest one

I am from the everyday summer fights,

From the disagreement of what to eat,

From the every night mom and dad drinks

From “Look but not touch”,

And from “Don’t touch grandmas wine glass collection”

I am from “What you believe in is okay”,

And from “We accept any religion here”

I am from Montevideo, Uruguay,

From a Spanish branch,

From Centenarios’s meat and bizcochos

From the family pictures in the colorful box,

Hidden in mommy’s room,

From my spoiled cousins pictures on top of the shelf,

And from mine on the bottom,

From the “I don’t care where my pictures are”,

And from “Mine are better”

From the soccer games every Sunday night,

From the loud voices screaming when our team scored,

And from my mom’s sweet voice telling them to lower their voice.

I am from those moments,

A leaf in the family tree,

That will never change its color,

That will never drop off.