Love Poem: My Ancestors Told Me
Sofia Rapisarda Avatar
Written by: Sofia Rapisarda

My Ancestors Told Me

I will love you
Regardless if you hate me because I'm not white

I will love you
Even if your nickname for me is Spic

I will love you
because I can't remember a time when putting my energy into HATING you has EVER brought me closer to happiness

I will hug you
Because there is no reason to fear skin darker than yours

I will embrace you
You don't have to wonder why my hair reaches for the sky like a tree and doesn't flow down like a river

You can talk to me
It's not my job to educate you but it is my job to care because I can't remember the last time I've seen someone help anothet up! Instead of looking the other way or pushing. them. down. 

You can love WITH me
I love my culture and I will gladly open my arms to show you salsa, bomba, merengue, bachata and Sofrito

I will not turn the other cheek
Because you never gave my ancestors the free will to turn it
You took and kept ON TAKING! 

I am not the immigrant
YOU ARE

I did not come here, you brought me here

You are not american, the people you call Indians
are

You may have been born on this soil but your family tree grows elsewhere and on dirt you probably have never seen

My ancestors told me to tell you

That I love you
and to show you the kindness you never showed them or us

No matter what color you may be or where you come from

We are still born from the same ancestors

We are all humans

I will love you 

because we are still family