How I Was Raised

Journal #2 (Excerpt):

I was raised from chalk dust and paint fumes:

results of Diwali and my mother's creativity

I was raised from Dido and the Violent Femmes-

From "Gone Daddy Gone" to "See the Sun," their lyrics shaped my thoughts

I was raised by mangoes and hearts of rice

and Thai women whose faces broadly grinned
I was raised by Koi fish and superstitions,
black cats and holding my breath near graveyards
I was raised by spices and sauces:
foreign smells and flavors
I was raised from underneath waters
and beside blue flames
I was raised with glitter and tulle;
by fairies and and princesses
I was raised by vanity:
raised by pearls, fur coats, and delicate French braids
I was raised out of peace and quiet
and teatime
I was raised by salamanders and ladybugs,
flying monkeys and talking mice
I was raised by hurricanes and earthquakes;
they taught me to be angry.